Ben Horowitz Bio
Benjamin Abraham Horowitz, born on 13 June 1966, is an American businessman, investor, and author. He is best known as the co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, established in 2009 alongside his long-time business partner Marc Andreessen. Horowitz is also a noted author whose books on leadership and entrepreneurship have shaped modern startup thinking.
Born in London, England, and raised in Berkeley, California, Horowitz built his career in Silicon Valley, leading technology companies before moving into venture capital. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife, Felicia Wiley Horowitz, and their three children.
Early Life and Background
Benjamin Abraham Horowitz was born in London, England, and later moved with his family to Berkeley, California, where he spent most of his childhood. He is the son of Elissa Krauthamer and David Horowitz, a conservative writer and policy advocate. Horowitz grew up in a household shaped by political and intellectual discussion, which influenced his later thinking on business and leadership.
As a young man, Horowitz played football at Berkeley High School, where he was one of the few white players on the team, an experience that taught him lessons about teamwork and resilience. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and his great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who arrived in the United States in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.
Horowitz went on to study at Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1988, and later completed a Master of Science in computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990. His strong technical background prepared him for a career in the fast-growing technology industry.
Path to Venture Capital
Horowitz began his professional career as an engineer at Silicon Graphics in 1990, working in a technical role during the early years of the modern computing era. His performance at the company caught the attention of executives in the broader tech community, opening the door to new opportunities.
In 1995, he joined Netscape, working alongside Marc Andreessen as a product manager. From 1997 to 1998, he served as Vice President for the Directory and Security Product Line. When Netscape was acquired by AOL in 1998, Horowitz became Vice President of AOL’s eCommerce Division, gaining valuable experience in scaling large organizations.
By 1999, Horowitz was ready to start his own company. Together with Andreessen, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee, he co-founded Loudcloud, an infrastructure and application hosting service. The company would become the foundation for his future as an entrepreneur and, eventually, a venture capitalist.
Ben Horowitz Career
Early Career (1990-1999)
Horowitz’s early career was rooted in engineering and product management. He started at Silicon Graphics in 1990 as an engineer, learning the technical foundations that would support his later leadership roles. The company was a leading innovator in graphics and computing hardware during that period.
His move to Netscape in 1995 marked a turning point, as he transitioned from engineering into product management and business strategy. Rising to the level of Vice President, he managed critical product lines and later an entire division at AOL following its acquisition of Netscape. These experiences gave him the management skills and industry connections that would shape his entrepreneurial path.
Loudcloud and Opsware Era (1999-2007)
In September 1999, Horowitz co-founded Loudcloud with Marc Andreessen, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. The company provided infrastructure and application hosting services to large enterprise customers, including Ford Motor Company, Nike, Inc., Gannett Company, News Corporation, and the United States Army. Horowitz led the company as President and Chief Executive Officer, taking it public on March 9, 2001.
Faced with the collapse of the dot-com market, Horowitz began transforming Loudcloud in June 2002. He sold the company’s core managed services business to Electronic Data Systems for 63.5 million dollars in cash, then rebranded the remaining operation as Opsware, an enterprise software company. Opsware grew to serve hundreds of enterprise customers, generated more than 100 million dollars in annual revenue, and employed 550 people.
In July 2007, Horowitz sold Opsware to Hewlett-Packard for 1.6 billion dollars in cash, a defining achievement in his career as a technology executive. During his tenure, Opsware shares had swung from a 6 dollar initial public offering price to a low of 0.35 dollars before trading at 14.25 dollars at the time of the acquisition. After the sale, he spent one year at Hewlett-Packard as Vice President and General Manager of HP Software, overseeing 3,000 employees and 2.8 billion dollars in annual revenue.
Andreessen Horowitz Era (2009-Present)
On July 6, 2009, Horowitz and Marc Andreessen launched Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm designed to invest in and advise both early-stage startups and more established growth companies in the technology sector. The firm began with an initial capitalization of 300 million dollars. Within three years, it had grown to manage 2.7 billion dollars across three funds, quickly establishing itself as one of the most influential venture capital firms in Silicon Valley.
Under Horowitz’s leadership as a co-founder, Andreessen Horowitz has continued to back many of the most recognized technology companies of the modern era. The firm has become known for its deep operational support, its strong network of advisors, and its willingness to invest across multiple stages of company growth. Horowitz remains an active voice in the industry, sharing his experiences through writing and public speaking.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most defining moments in Horowitz’s career was the 1.6 billion dollar sale of Opsware to Hewlett-Packard in 2007, which cemented his reputation as a successful technology operator. The launch of Andreessen Horowitz in 2009 with 300 million dollars in initial funding marked his transition from operating executive to leading venture capitalist, and the firm’s rapid growth to billions under management within a few years has become a benchmark for the modern venture capital industry.
Ben Horowitz Books and Other Work
Books and Writing
In addition to his work in venture capital, Horowitz is the author of two widely read business books. His first book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, draws on his experiences running Loudcloud and Opsware to offer honest advice on the difficult choices facing entrepreneurs. The book became a bestseller and is commonly recommended reading in the startup world.
His second book, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, explores how leaders can shape the values and behaviors of their organizations. The book has been adopted by executives and founders seeking to build strong company cultures.
Ben Horowitz Family
Family Background
Horowitz is the son of Elissa Krauthamer and David Horowitz, a conservative writer and policy advocate. His family has roots in the United States stretching back to the 19th and early 20th centuries through his great-grandparents, who were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His upbringing in Berkeley placed him in a diverse and politically active environment that shaped his worldview.
Personal Life
Horowitz married Felicia Wiley Horowitz in 1988, and the couple has three children. The family resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Horowitz has spent significant time in recent years while continuing to lead Andreessen Horowitz. His long-standing marriage and family life have remained a steady foundation throughout his career in the high-pressure technology industry.