Stella Lefty has moved from viral country-pop newcomer to Billboard top 10 artist after her single “Boston” climbed six places to No. 6 on the Hot 100.
The 23-year-old singer, whose full name is Stella Lefkofsky, is the daughter of Groupon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky and philanthropist Elizabeth “Liz” Lefkofsky.
Her father’s multibillion-dollar fortune has fueled online arguments about the advantages she may have had while entering the music industry.
Lefty has acknowledged the criticism but said she discusses Eric because of their close relationship and the role he played in developing her musical interests.
Eric Lefkofsky Co-Founded Groupon
Eric is an entrepreneur best known as one of the co-founders of Groupon, the online marketplace that rose rapidly in popularity by offering discounted local services and products. He also helped establish companies including Echo Global Logistics, InnerWorkings and Mediaocean.
Eric currently serves as founder and CEO of Tempus AI, a Chicago-based healthcare technology company focused on artificial intelligence and precision medicine. Forbes estimated his real-time net worth at approximately $4.7 billion on July 24, 2026.
Lefty’s mother, Liz Lefkofsky, is president and co-founder of the Lefkofsky Family Foundation. She and Eric established the private charitable foundation in 2006 to support work involving education, women’s health, medical research and the arts.
Her Father Introduced Her to Country Music
Lefty has credited Eric with shaping her taste in music years before she began releasing songs professionally. “My dad in particular was the first intro to music that I ever had because country radio was blasting in the car no matter where we were going,” she told The Line of Best Fit.
She described him as “the biggest Swiftie” and recalled sitting in a car with him during her first breakup while they listened to Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw. Lefty said those experiences helped shape how she understands relationships and writes about them.
She called Eric her “musical everything” and said she would frequently mention him even if he had no prominent business career. She also addressed the negative comments surrounding her family background, saying she understood that people would form opinions online but did not intend to minimize their personal connection.
Lefty Initially Wanted to Write Songs for Other Artists
Lefty began learning guitar at age 7 but struggled with severe stage fright. She recalled dreading annual recitals and initially had no intention of becoming a performing artist.
She studied public health in college and did not seriously consider a music career until discovering during her junior year that professional songwriters regularly created material for other performers.
After graduating, Lefty flew to Nashville for her first collaborative writing sessions. Although an early publishing opportunity fell through, industry figures suggested that she appeared more interested in becoming an artist than remaining behind the scenes.
Lefty initially resisted that assessment but eventually decided they were right. She moved to Los Angeles, continued posting original songs online and began developing an audience through short performance clips and song previews.
‘Boston’ Became Her First Hot 100 Top 10 Hit
“Boston” rose from No. 12 to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 25, 2026, giving Lefty her first top 10 entry after 15 weeks on the chart. The song generated 16 million U.S. streams and reached an audience of 21 million through radio during the tracking week.
It also contains an interpolation of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season,” resulting in Kahan receiving a songwriting credit. Lefty’s EP Is This Heaven? had previously debuted at No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart in May.