Andrew Dudum is a Palestinian-American entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of telehealth startup Hims & Hers Health, Inc.
Early life and education
Dudum was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He is an American of Palestinian heritage. He trained as a classical cellist and performed live across the United States and Europe, at hundreds of concerts and weddings, including at Carnegie Hall.[1] He attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Management and Economics. Dudum did not finish his degree and is therefore a college dropout.[2]
Career
While in college, Dudum co-founded LendforPeace, a nonprofit microlending site for Middle Eastern entrepreneurs. He later worked at TokBox, a video-chat startup that was eventually acquired.[1] The acquisition of TokBox freed Dudum up to pursue his goal to build a startup. In 2013, Dudum co-founded Atomic Labs, a San Francisco-based startup studio backed by investors such as Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen. Atomic launched companies including Bungalow, Homebound, TalkIQ, and Terminal.[2][3] In 2016, Dudum founded Hims, a direct-to-consumer telehealth startup, still as part of Atomic. He has served as CEO since its inception.[2] The company expanded into women's health under the brand Hims & Hers, offering online consultations, prescriptions, and over-the-counter products.[4][circular reference] Hims raised over US$100 million in funding and became a “unicorn” in 2019. In 2020, Hims went public via a SPAC at a $1.6 billion valuation, debuting on the New York Stock Exchange in January 2021 under the ticker NYSE: HIMS.[5] In 2024, Hims & Hers expanded into GLP-1 weight loss medicine and generated annual revenues of $1.48 billion.[6][7][8] Andrew Dudum has a net worth of approximately $1 billion.[9][10]
Controversies
In 2024, Dudum drew both praise and some criticism for a social media post in which he encouraged companies to hire student protesters involved in anti-Israel demonstrations. He later clarified his statement as support for peaceful protest and free speech.[1][11]
In 2025, his San Francisco donut shop, George's Donuts & Merriment, drew local backlash after a $1 million Hims & Hers donation to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee became public.[12]
In mid-2025, Hims & Hers Health faced increased scrutiny after its partnership with Novo Nordisk ended, with both companies citing differing views on compounded GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Reuters and Bloomberg reported that despite the termination, Hims continued its expansion and reaffirmed annual guidance.
Hims & Hers Health, Inc. is an American telehealth company established in 2017. The company provides prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and personal care products.
Hims & Hers operates with a direct-to-consumer model. Consumers consult licensed healthcare professionals and access treatments and products through the company's platform. Customers pay for a consultation with a doctor to prescribe the drug along with the price of the drug itself. The company has expanded its offerings to include health solutions for both men and women, along with mental health services.
Founding, expansion, and public offering
Hims Inc. was established in 2017 by Jack Abraham, Andrew Dudum and Hilary Coles as a part of the Atomic Labs portfolio.[7][1] In January 2019, Hims raised $100 million in a Series C funding round with a pre-money valuation of $1 billion.[8][9] In the same month, Hims was launched in the United Kingdom with a catalogue limited by European regulation.[10]
Hims & Hers has a capitalisation of $US3.6 billion ($5.1 billion).[11]
Public offering
In October 2020, Hims closed a deal with Oaktree Capital Management to go public through a blank check company, reaching a valuation of $1.6 billion.[7] As part of the deal, the company was renamed Hims & Hers Health, Inc.[12] The transaction was completed in January 2021, and the company started trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange.[3]
Products and services
Hims initially sold erectile dysfunction treatment sildenafil and hair loss treatments such as minoxidil, biotin vitamins and DHT-blocking shampoo.[13][14][15] Hims launched Hers, a brand targeted to women, selling birth control pills and flibanserin in 2018.[7][16] In 2020, Hims launched mental health services, including anonymous group therapy.[5]
In 2024, Hims announced it would add compounded GLP-1 injections to its product portfolio, giving customers a way to access weight loss treatment. Hims claims to be able to provide them cheaper and with greater availability. However, unlike the brand name treatments, these compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety.[17] In 2025, corporate partner Novo Nordisk pulled out of the partnership, ending the product offering.[18]
Novo Nordisk is suing Hims & Hers because it says Hims was marketing and selling “copycat” compounded semaglutide products that compete with Wegovy/Ozempic. Novo alleges patent infringement and argues the compounding approach was effectively mass production of an unapproved version, plus potentially misleading marketing claims about equivalence.[19] This led to shares dropping 48 per cent at the start of 2026.[11]
Acquisitions
In June 2025, Hims & Hers acquired digital health platform ZAVA, expanding its footprint in Europe.[11]
On the 19th of February, 2026, the company announced the acquisition of Australian company, Eucalyptus Health, which runs Juniper, Pilot and Kin in a $1.6 billion deal.