Michael Saylor is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), a company that became the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Strategy and Bitcoin
Saylor co-founded MicroStrategy in 1989 and served as CEO until 2022. In August 2020, he made the unprecedented decision to adopt Bitcoin as the company’s primary treasury reserve asset, purchasing 21,454 BTC for $250 million. This marked the beginning of an aggressive Bitcoin acquisition strategy that transformed the company from a mid-cap software firm into effectively a Bitcoin holding company.
By 2025, the company held over 400,000 BTC, making it the largest corporate Bitcoin holder in the world. It funded its purchases through a combination of operating cash flow, convertible debt offerings, and at-the-market equity sales. The stock became a popular proxy for Bitcoin exposure among institutional investors. In early 2025, the company rebranded from MicroStrategy to Strategy to reflect its Bitcoin-first identity.
Bitcoin Advocacy
Saylor became the most vocal corporate advocate for Bitcoin, arguing that it is the superior long-term store of value and that corporations holding cash on their balance sheets are losing purchasing power to monetary inflation. He hosted “Bitcoin for Corporations” conferences to encourage other companies to adopt Bitcoin treasury strategies and published extensive educational content about Bitcoin’s monetary properties.
Career Transition
In August 2022, Saylor stepped down as CEO, transitioning to Executive Chairman to focus on the company’s Bitcoin acquisition strategy and Bitcoin advocacy. Phong Le succeeded him as CEO.
Education
Saylor holds a double degree from MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Science, Technology and Society.