Salman Amin Sal Khan is an American teacher, entrepreneur, and a former hedge fund analyst. He is the founder of the Khan Academy, a free online education platform and a 501(c)(3) organization with which he has produced over 6,500 video lessons teaching a wide spectrum of academic subjects, mainly focusing on mathematics and sciences. He was born on October 11, 1976 in Metairie, Louisiana, U.S. He completed three degrees: BS in mathematics, in electrical engineering as well as in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed MBA from Harvard Business School. Khan developed an interest in education while tutoring his cousin, Nadia. Initially communicating via an internet tool, Khan began posting his mathematics tutorials on YouTube in 2006. The videos attracted millions of viewers. In 2009, Khan quit his job as an analyst to devote himself full-time to the set of videos that formed Khan Academy. The academy provides free online instruction to students across the world.

The success of Khan Academy brought significant media attention to its founder. Khan has been profiled in print and interviewed on television. His efforts have attracted funding from major donors, including Google and Microsoft. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has stated that he uses Khan Academy software as part of his own children's education. Among Khan's speaking engagements are commencement addresses at MIT and Rice University, both of which he delivered in 2012. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2016(India's Civilian Award).