Daniel Ek is stepping down as CEO of Spotify two decades after he upended the music industry with his now–$145 billion streaming juggernaut. Ek, who cofounded Spotify in 2006 in Stockholm, is not leaving the company, but rather stepping into the executive chairman role starting in January 2026 with a focus on big-picture moves and capital-allocation decisions. The company has elevated copresidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström to serve as co-CEOs. Norström was previously chief business officer over ...