Grant Thompson — Disruptor Awards

Grant Thompson is a 14-year-old honors student at Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, Arizona.

He plays bass drum in Catalina Foothills High School’s Falcon Steel Drum Band and is a member of Boys Team Charity, a volunteer service organization that participates in philanthropic projects in the Tucson area. In 2016, Grant earned his Nikyu (junior) rank (Second Degree Purple Belt) in the martial art of Goshinjitsu.

Grant was credited by Apple, Inc. for finding and reporting the infamous Apple “Group FaceTime Bug” in January 2019. This bug had both national privacy and security implications as it allowed iPhone users to eavesdrop on third parties when utilizing Apple’s new Group FaceTime feature.

Grant’s discovery became national and international news. He was interviewed by several major network news outlets, both on television and in print, including the Wall Street Journal, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, and several others. Grant was also recently awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZDistrict 2).

In his spare time, Grant enjoys playing basketball and video games. He is also an avid Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Wildcats fan. After graduation from high school in 2022, Grant has plans to attend college and is interested in pursuing a career in the technology field.