Wael ghonim biography sample
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Wael Ghonim: the voice of a generation
As his wife teasingly plucked his first grey hair from his head, Wael Ghonim wondered what life in his 30s might hold in store for him. Like many of those waving goodbye to their 20s, Mr Ghonim felt a twinge of apprehension last December, as if he were expecting the end of an era.
He had his dream job as a regional head of marketing at Google, a wife, Ilka, whom he adored, and two children. They lived a life of comfort in a luxury villa in The Springs in Dubai.
The next decade, he reasoned, would spell stability and an end to the exciting unpredictability of his 20s, when he discovered his passion for new media and social networking and, better still, found a career that allowed him to indulge his obsession and travel the world.
"Dear 20s, I've enjoyed every moment with you. I'll miss the great times & I promise you: I'll still be crazy, passionate & full of energy," he wrote on Twitter as his birthday neared.
"Getting ready to join the 30s club soon. Wanna do ONE fun & crazy thing before I leave my 20s. Suggestions?"
What followed was probably more extreme than any hijinks Mr Ghonim could have imagined. One month after posting the message and telling his bosses at Google he had been called to a family emergency, he found himself at the
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February 9, 2012
Guest: Wael Ghonim
TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. The Egyptian revolution one year ago was often called the Facebook revolution. My guest, Wael Ghonim, was the anonymous administrator of the now-famous Facebook page that called people to protest in Tahrir Square on January 25, 2011, the protest that kept escalating until President Mubarak stepped down.
Ghonim missed some of the revolution because on January 28, after the police figured out who he was, Ghonim was arrested and held blindfolded for 11 days. He's written a new memoir called "Revolution 2.0." Its publication has brought him to the U.S.
Ghonim was born in Egypt and grew up in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Obsessed with computers and networking, his dream was to work for Google. He was hired by Google in 2008 and later became the head of marketing for Google Middle East and North Africa. He's currently on leave from that position.
Wael Ghonim, welcome to FRESH AIR. You used Facebook to help start the Egyptian revolution and then Twitter once it was underway. How do you see the role both Facebook and Twitter played in the revolution? What was each best suited for?
WAEL GHONIM: Well, first, I just think that the role of social media in the revolution ne
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Wael Ghonim: Insurgency 2.0
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