Snapchat boss Evan Spiegel on the app that made him one of the world's youngest billionaires

With Facebook snapping at his heels, the Snap Inc founder needs to offer something more than selfies with a dog's ears. He explains why his relaunched app could have the answer to fake news and filter bubbles

If you spend enough time in the tech industry, certain cultural touchstones become familiar. The sprawling virtual metaverse of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, for instance, which was required reading for new product managers at Facebook, or the voice-activated computers of Star Trek, now referenced in a hidden "Easter egg" feature in Amazon's Echo smart speakers.

But Evan Spiegel is talking about art. As the 27-year-old founder and chief executive of Snap Inc - ni(C)e Snapchat, after the company's main product - references Damien Hirst's latest exhibition in Venice, Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, it becomes clear that Spiegel isn't like other founders.