• Home
  • News
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceBillionaires

SmileDirectClub’s 30-Year-Old Founders Still Have Reason to Smile After Rocky IPO: They’re Billionaires

By
Sophie Alexander
Sophie Alexander
,
Tom Maloney
Tom Maloney
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sophie Alexander
Sophie Alexander
,
Tom Maloney
Tom Maloney
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2019, 1:59 PM ET

Even after one of the worst stock-market debuts in more than a decade, two 30-year-old founders of SmileDirectClub Inc. Still have plenty to smile about.

Alexander Fenkell and Jordan Katzman are both billionaires, as is Katzman’s father, Chief Executive Officer David Katzman, 59, following an initial public offering of shares in the maker of dental aligners.

SmileDirectClub plunged 28% to $16.67 Thursday, making it the first U.S. Firm since at least 2008 to raise more than $1 billion and price its IPO above range, yet fall in its inaugural trading day. The shares, offered at $23, rebounded Friday, climbing 11% to $18.55 at 12:08 p.m. In New York.

It has been a busy September for the public markets and those it enriches.

WeWork’s Adam Neumann has seen the value of his stake drop by more than $10 billion, at least on paper, as Wall Street tempered expectations for the office-sharing company amid lingering corporate-governance concerns. On Tuesday, exercise-bike maker Peloton Interactive Inc. Said it planned to offer 40 million shares to raise more than $1 billion, which would give co-founder John Foley a $450 million fortune.

And on Friday, shares of cybersecurity-software developer CloudFlare Inc. Surged 27% to $19 apiece in the minutes after their New York Stock Exchange debut. That boosted the stakes of CEO Matthew Prince and fellow co-founder and operating chief Michelle Zatlyn to $717 million and $277 million, respectively.

SmileDirectClub’s young founders join the growing ranks of young self-made billionaires like Facebook Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg, 35, and Snap Inc.’s Evan Spiegel, 29.

Despite WeWork’s flagging fortunes, Neumann, 40, will still be a billionaire three times over if the company goes public with a market capitalization of $15 billion, the lowest current projected valuation.

More must-read stories from Coins2Day:

—Trump wants negative rates now–and it could end up costing you
—WeWork and Saudi Aramco pose big tests for JPMorgan’s resurgent underwriting business
—Why the next recession may feel very different than 2008
—Will Apple’s new streaming service mean upside for investors?
—U.S. Recession indicators haven’t made up their minds
Don’t miss the daily Term Sheet, Coins2Day’s newsletter on deals and dealmakers.

About the Authors
By Sophie Alexander
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Tom Maloney
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Global 500
  • Coins2Day 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Coins2Day Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Coins2Day Brand Studio
  • Coins2Day Analytics
  • Coins2Day Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Coins2Day
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Coins2Day Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Coins2Day Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.