Linden Lab was founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale to create a revolutionary new form of shared experience, where individuals jointly inhabit a 3D landscape and build the world around them. Today this experience, known as the Second Life® world, has a rapidly growing population of Residents from around the globe, who are creating and inhabiting a virtual world of their own design.

On April 23, 2008, Philip Linden announced a new CEO, Mark Kingdon. M Linden became the new CEO of Linden Lab on May 15, 2008.