After nearly two decades at the helm, Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek will step down as Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2026. Ek will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, handing day to day leadership to co-presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström, who have already assumed many of his operational responsibilities in recent years.
“This change simply reflects how we’ve already been working,” Ek stated, emphasizing continuity in Spotify’s leadership structure. As Executive Chairman, Ek will focus on the company’s long-term vision while remaining closely involved in strategic decisions. Norström and Söderström will continue to report directly to him.
Ek also signaled broader ambitions beyond Spotify, expressing a desire to help build more European tech “supercompanies” capable of tackling global challenges through innovation. His recent investment in Helsing, a German defense tech firm specializing in AI and drones, drew criticism from artists concerned about the ethical implications. Bands including Deerhoof and Godspeed You! Black Emperor removed their music from Spotify in protest.
Founded in 2006 by Ek and Martin Lorentzon, Spotify launched publicly in 2008 as a legal alternative to widespread music piracy. “The only way to solve that problem was to build a service better than the illegal route one that also generated revenue for the music industry,” Ek told The Telegraph in 2010.