Is it a big deal? Anderson, who has said he was 27 when MySpace launched, built an empire by tapping into the youth market. History might’ve unfolded differently if those first few users had known that the site’s hipster co-architect was already well into his 30s. “Young people don’t want someone their dad’s age running a site they think is cool,” says Pete Cashmore, the founder and editor of Mashable.com, a blog that covers social networking.
Rumors about Anderson’s age began to spread last week, when the blog TechCrunch suggested that he was 36 or 37. Anderson and MySpace declined multiple requests for comment, and the company would not confirm his birth date. “I’m pretty bummed out about it,” says 25-year-old Andrew Haynes, a Seattle comedian. “I’ve always taken MySpace with a grain of salt, but Tom was my first friend. It’s kind of messed up that he lied to me.” Either way, he’s laughing all the way to the bank.
