Tom Anderson, known as “Tom from MySpace”, once the default friend on every Myspace profile, now lives a relaxed but adventurous life away from the limelight.
In the early 2000s, MySpace revolutionized social media, allowing millions of people to create an online identity, connect with friends, and share updates about their lives.
Co-founded in 2003 by Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, the platform has enjoyed tremendous success.
With substantial investments from VantagePoint and Redpoint fueling its growth, MySpace was eventually sold to News Corp in 2005 for an impressive $580 million.
Anderson retired from MySpace in 2009. By 2010, he was no longer the default friend on the platform, replaced by a profile called “Today on MySpace” or “TOM”.
Today, Anderson resides in Hawaii, where he fully lives a life of leisure and exploration.
Recently spotted at Costa Mesa Country Club in Southern California, Anderson was all smiles, wearing a butterfly-print shirt and baseball cap while enjoying a casual outing with his dog.
After Myspace, Anderson became an avid traveler and photographer, sharing images from breathtaking destinations like the Maldives and the Philippines. His love for photography, as well as his interests in surfing, architecture and design, shine through his social media profiles.
Recently spotted at Costa Mesa Country Club in Southern California, Tom Anderson was all smiles, wearing a butterfly-print shirt and baseball cap while enjoying a casual outing with his dog.
Anderson, better known as MySpace Tom, now enjoys a relaxed lifestyle far removed from the world of technology.
Anderson sold MySpace to NewsCorp for $580 million in 2005 and retired in 2009.
His biography on
Although he keeps a relatively low profile, his occasional social media posts offer glimpses into his life, ranging from cheeky comments to updates on his hobbies.
In 2021, he jokingly commented on the state of social media with a playful tweet featuring a photo of then-President Donald Trump joking about making a new friend on MySpace.
Financially secure, with an estimated net worth of $60 million, Anderson continues to explore opportunities beyond his MySpace legacy.
He has reportedly dabbled in real estate and expressed excitement about a potential investment in SpaceX, although details remain unverified.
Anderson’s oceanfront condo in Honolulu, 2,492 square feet with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, is valued at about $3.7 million, according to Redfin.
For someone whose image is most associated with a grainy MySpace profile photo, Anderson’s move toward capturing breathtaking National Geographic-style landscapes is a remarkable shift.
His journey into photography began at Burning Man in 2011, a festival known for its harsh and dusty environment.
Anderson co-founded MySpace in 2003 by Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, the platform has been wildly successful
Today, Anderson resides in Hawaii, where he fully lives a life of leisure and exploration. His apartment is photographed.
Despite the conditions, Anderson captured images that sparked his passion for art.
Encouraged by his friend and mentor, photographer Trey Ratcliff, Anderson quickly developed his skills, even describing himself as “a little blown away” by his early work in a 2012 interview with the photography blog PetaPixel.
After leaving MySpace in 2009, Anderson explored various endeavors, including an appearance in an Adam Sandler film and an attempt to develop a baseball team in Las Vegas.
However, his transformative experience at Burning Man 2011 marked the beginning of his photographic journey.
Free from financial constraints, he dedicated himself to traveling the world, capturing landscapes ranging from the Thai Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai to thunderstorms over the Grand Canyon.
Anderson told ABC News in 2014 that his photographic process combines patience and creativity.
He said he carefully waits for perfect lighting and composition in a natural setting, but also improves his images in post-processing.
“The less the camera is able to capture what you see in a scene, the more editing it requires,” Anderson said. “I don’t necessarily try to represent nature exactly. I try to make something beautiful like a painter would do.
Anderson said he fell in love with photography while at Burning Man in 2011.
A photo taken by Anderson while hiking on Kauai, Hawaii
Despite his success, Anderson admits to his shyness, particularly when it comes to photographing people.
His landscapes sometimes feature unexpected human elements, but he says portraits or photojournalism are not his goal.
As a key figure in the evolution of the Internet in the 2000s and a photographer himself, Anderson sees the rise of photo-sharing apps and the democratization of photography as a positive development.
“I think people feel more artistic and creative with something like Instagram that makes editing easier. It’s definitely a good thing,” Anderson said. “I meet so many people who want to try photography and I think any boost to a person’s creative life is a godsend.”
Ironically, Anderson’s Instagram account, @myspacetom, is a nod to the persona he has created for himself on his platform.
When it came to returning to the tech world, Anderson said at the time that he was open-minded but not actively interested.
“A lot of people really seem to expect that from me. On the one hand, it’s flattering,” Anderson said.
“I will never say never, because more than anything, I love the idea that anything can happen. I don’t know exactly where my life will take me. Adventure and the unknown have always attracted me.
A photo taken by Anderson from Manila, Philippines
Last September, Anderson shared a never-before-seen direct message exchange with the late rapper Mac Miller, sent just days before his untimely death.
Posting to , the day of his death. Remembering Mac @MacMillerMemoir who passed away today in 2018.’
The screenshot showed Miller reaching out to Anderson, inviting him to make an appearance in an upcoming music video.
“We are filming a video September 5-8, and if you made an appearance it would be amazing,” Miller wrote.
Anderson replied, “Haha, what’s the concept?” to which Miller explained, “just teleport to a bunch of different places, and different people are in all of them.”
On September 7, 2018, at just 26 years old, Miller died of an accidental overdose at his home in Los Angeles. Miller rose to fame in 2011 with Blue Slide Park, the first independent album in over a decade to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.