Benjamin Todd

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Not to be confused with Benjamin Tod.

Benjamin Todd is a British author and nonprofit executive. He is the co-founder and former CEO of 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit organization that provides career advice focused on maximizing social impact.[1]

Early life and education

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Todd was educated at The Perse School and Hills Road Sixth Form College,[2] and studied Physics and Philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford.[3]

Career

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80,000 Hours

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In 2011, Todd founded 80,000 Hours together with William MacAskill.[4][5][6]

80,000 Hours was accepted into the Y Combinator startup accelerator program in 2015, becoming one of the first nonprofits to participate in that program.[7][8]

Under Todd's tenure, 80,000 Hours grew to serve over 10 million readers. The organization has provided one-on-one career advice to over 5,000 individuals, with more than 3,000 reporting significant career plan changes as a result of the organization's guidance.[9][10]

Writing and media

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Todd authored the book 80,000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career that Does Good, published in 2017. A revised and updated edition is scheduled for publication by Penguin Random House in 2026.[10]

His 2017 TEDx talk "To find work you love, don't follow your passion" has garnered over 6 million views.[11]

Todd has been featured in media outlets including BBC Radio 4,[12] The Telegraph,[13] and Vox.[14]

Current work

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Todd currently works as a full-time author and consultant, focusing on strategy for nonprofit organizations. He has advised organizations including the Global Priorities Institute and the Centre for Effective Altruism.[2]

Personal life

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Todd has taken the Giving What We Can pledge (in November 2009) to donate at least 10% of his income to effective charities.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "About us: what do we do, and how can we help?". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  2. ^ a b "Benjamin Todd". benjamintodd.org. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  3. ^ "Annual Record 2012" (PDF). Balliol College, Oxford. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  4. ^ Anthony Ha (2015-08-04). "Want To Make An Impact With Your Work? Try Some Advice From 80,000 Hours". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  5. ^ Naina Bajekal (2022-08-10). "Inside the Effective Altruism Movement to Do More Good". TIME. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  6. ^ Krithika Varagur (2021-10-14). "Can Your Career Help Change the World? You Have 80,000 Hours to Try". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  7. ^ "80,000 Hours". Y Combinator. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  8. ^ "Y Combinator's first non-profit class". Financial Times. 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  9. ^ "Our impact". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  10. ^ a b "Benjamin Todd". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  11. ^ "To find work you love, don't follow your passion". YouTube. TEDx Talks. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  12. ^ "What's the best job to do good?". BBC. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  13. ^ Tom Ough (2017-05-31). "Don't follow your passion and think twice about medicine: the new rules for choosing a career". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  14. ^ "The Future Perfect podcast: What career should I choose?". Vox. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  15. ^ "Lifetime members". Giving What We Can. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
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