The search for Mint Butterfield, the child of major tech founders Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake, has come to a successful end. After being missing for a week and considered at risk, the teenager from Bolinas was safely located and reunited with their family.
Butterfield’s parents are known for cofounding Flickr, with Stewart later going on to cofound Slack. The teenager uses they/them pronouns. Butterfield’s stepfather, Jyri Engestrom, is also a tech founder.
The family expressed gratitude to all those who helped in the search for Butterfield, including family, friends, volunteers, and strangers who provided tips. Police had initially stated that the teenager was a voluntary missing juvenile at risk due to a previous suicide attempt.
Authorities had reported that Butterfield left a note and took a suitcase with them but did not have a car or phone. The safe recovery of Butterfield brought relief to their loved ones and the community following a challenging period of uncertainty.