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| name = Ben Horowitz
| name = Ben Horowitz
| birth_name = Benjamin Abraham Horowitz
| birth_name = Benjamin Abraham Horowitz
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|6|13}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|06|13}}
| birth_place = London, England
| birth_place = London, England
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
| education = Columbia University (BA)<br>University of California, Los Angeles (MS)
| education = Columbia University (BA)<br>University of California, Los Angeles (MS)
| occupation = Venture capitalist, author, entrepreneur
| occupation = Venture capitalist, author, entrepreneur
| known_for = Co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), co-founder and former CEO of Opsware
| known_for = Co-founder of [[Andreessen Horowitz]] (a16z), co-founder and former CEO of [[Opsware]]
| children = 3
| children = 3
| father = David Horowitz
| website = [http://bhorowitz.com/ bhorowitz.com]
| website = [http://bhorowitz.com/ bhorowitz.com]
| awards = Forbes Midas List (#33, 2025)
| awards = Forbes Midas List (#33, 2025)
}}
}}


'''Benjamin Abraham Horowitz''' (born June 13, 1966) is an American businessman, investor, author, and blogger who co-founded the venture capital firm [[Andreessen Horowitz]] (commonly known as a16z) alongside [[Marc Andreessen]] in 2009. Before entering the venture capital industry, Horowitz built a reputation as a technology entrepreneur, co-founding the enterprise software company [[Opsware]] (originally Loudcloud), where he served as president and chief executive officer until [[Hewlett-Packard]] acquired the firm in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=HP to Acquire Opsware |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Through Andreessen Horowitz, he has become one of the most prominent venture capital investors in Silicon Valley, with the firm managing billions of dollars in assets and backing some of the technology sector's most notable companies. Horowitz is also known for his writing, having authored ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers'' (2014), a widely read book on the challenges of running a startup, and ''What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture'' (2019).<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-01-14 |title=Ben Horowitz book 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things' debuts in March |url=http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/ |work=Recode |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> In 2025, he was ranked number 33 on the Forbes Midas List of top technology investors.<ref name="forbes">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-horowitz/ |publisher=Forbes |date=May 27, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
'''Benjamin Abraham Horowitz''' (born June 13, 1966) is an American businessman, investor, author, and blogger. He is best known as the co-founder and general partner of [[Andreessen Horowitz]] (commonly known as a16z), one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firms, which he established alongside [[Marc Andreessen]] in 2009. Before entering the venture capital industry, Horowitz co-founded and served as president and chief executive officer of the enterprise software company [[Opsware]], which was acquired by [[Hewlett-Packard]] in 2007 for approximately $1.6 billion.<ref>{{cite web |title=HP to Acquire Opsware |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Born in London and raised in the United States, Horowitz has become a significant figure in Silicon Valley's technology and investment ecosystem. He is also a published author, having written ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers'' (2014), a candid account of the challenges of building and running a technology startup, and ''What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture''.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-01-14 |title=Ben Horowitz book, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things,' debuts in March |url=http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/ |work=Recode |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> As of 2025, Horowitz ranks number 33 on the Forbes Midas List of top technology investors.<ref name="forbes">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-horowitz/ |publisher=Forbes |date=May 27, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Ben Horowitz was born on June 13, 1966, in London, England. His father is David Horowitz, a conservative political commentator and writer. The family later relocated to the United States, where Horowitz grew up. He was raised in part in Berkeley, California, an environment that exposed him to a range of political and intellectual perspectives from an early age.<ref name="hp-bio">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz biography |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2008/techforum/bi_horowitz.pdf |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Benjamin Abraham Horowitz was born on June 13, 1966, in London, England.<ref name="hp-bio">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz Biography |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2008/techforum/bi_horowitz.pdf |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> His father is David Horowitz, an American journalist and author known for his political commentary. Although born in England, Horowitz grew up in the United States and holds American nationality.


Details about Horowitz's childhood and family background prior to his university years are limited in the public record. However, his upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area placed him in close proximity to Silicon Valley's burgeoning technology industry, a factor that would prove influential in shaping his career trajectory. His father's work as a writer and public intellectual also appears to have contributed to Horowitz's own interest in writing and communication, skills that would later distinguish him among technology executives and venture capitalists.
Horowitz was raised in an intellectually stimulating household. His upbringing and his father's background in political writing and commentary exposed him to a wide range of ideas and perspectives from an early age. The family eventually settled in the United States, where Horowitz would go on to pursue his education and career in technology and business.
 
Details about Horowitz's childhood and formative years in the public record are relatively limited, though he has shared anecdotes from his upbringing in various public talks and in his published writings. In ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'', Horowitz drew on personal experiences from his youth to illustrate broader lessons about resilience, leadership, and decision-making under pressure. His early life experiences, including navigating culturally diverse environments and observing his father's career, would later inform his approach to both entrepreneurship and venture capital investing.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Horowitz attended [[Columbia University]] in New York City, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating with the class of 1988.<ref name="columbia">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz on AI, Culture, and Succeeding Through the Next Wave of Innovation |url=https://business.columbia.edu/insights/digital-future/ben-horowitz-ai-culture-innovation |publisher=Columbia Business School |date=Sep 23, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Columbia College Bulletin 2014-2015 |url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2014-2015_columbia_college_bulletin.pdf#page=60 |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> He subsequently pursued graduate studies at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA), where he obtained a Master of Science degree in computer science.<ref name="hp-bio" />
Horowitz attended [[Columbia University]] in New York City, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating with the class of 1988.<ref name="columbia-cct">{{cite web |title=Columbia Forum |url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/fall14/columbia_forum |publisher=Columbia College Today |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Columbia College Bulletin 2014-2015 |url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2014-2015_columbia_college_bulletin.pdf#page=60 |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> He subsequently pursued graduate studies at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA), where he earned a Master of Science degree in computer science.<ref name="hp-bio" />


His education combined a liberal arts foundation with technical training, a combination that would serve him in both his entrepreneurial and investing careers. At Columbia, Horowitz developed interests that extended beyond technology, including a notable appreciation for hip-hop music and culture, themes that would later appear in his writing and public speaking. His graduate work at UCLA provided the technical grounding necessary for a career in the software industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
His education combined a liberal arts foundation from Columbia with technical expertise from UCLA's computer science program, a combination that would prove valuable in his later career as a technology entrepreneur and investor. Horowitz has maintained ties with Columbia University, returning to speak at events hosted by the institution. In September 2025, he appeared at [[Columbia Business School]] to discuss topics including artificial intelligence, corporate culture, and innovation.<ref name="columbia-talk">{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz on AI, Culture, and Succeeding Through the Next Wave of Innovation |url=https://business.columbia.edu/insights/digital-future/ben-horowitz-ai-culture-innovation |publisher=Columbia Business School |date=Sep 23, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==


=== Early Career at Netscape and AOL ===
=== Early Career and Netscape ===


After completing his graduate studies, Horowitz entered the technology industry. He joined [[Netscape Communications]], the pioneering web browser company co-founded by Marc Andreessen, where the two men first established their professional relationship. At Netscape, Horowitz worked as a product manager, gaining experience in the fast-moving internet sector during the mid-1990s.<ref name="hp-bio" />
After completing his graduate studies, Horowitz entered the technology industry during the early 1990s, a period of rapid growth in the personal computing and internet sectors. He began his career working at several technology companies in Silicon Valley, gaining experience in product management and engineering roles.<ref name="hp-bio" />


When [[America Online]] (AOL) acquired Netscape in 1999, Horowitz transitioned to AOL, where he served as a vice president. His time at Netscape and AOL provided him with firsthand experience in the dynamics of high-growth technology companies, the challenges of managing through acquisitions, and the complexities of the rapidly evolving internet industry. It was during this period that Horowitz developed the management philosophy that would later inform both his entrepreneurial ventures and his writing.
Horowitz's career trajectory took a significant turn when he joined [[Netscape Communications]], the pioneering web browser company. It was at Netscape that he first worked with [[Marc Andreessen]], the company's co-founder. Andreessen had gained fame as the co-creator of [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]], one of the first widely used graphical web browsers, and had co-founded Netscape to commercialize internet browsing technology. The professional relationship between Horowitz and Andreessen that began at Netscape would become one of the most consequential partnerships in Silicon Valley's venture capital history.
 
At Netscape, Horowitz gained firsthand experience in the dynamics of the rapidly evolving internet industry, including the intense competitive pressures of the browser wars with [[Microsoft]]. Following [[AOL]]'s acquisition of Netscape in 1999, Horowitz and several colleagues moved on to pursue new ventures.


=== Loudcloud and Opsware ===
=== Loudcloud and Opsware ===


In 1999, Horowitz co-founded Loudcloud, a cloud computing infrastructure company, alongside Marc Andreessen, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. The company aimed to provide managed internet infrastructure services at a time when the concept of cloud computing was still in its infancy. Loudcloud attracted significant venture capital funding and went public in 2001, although the company faced severe challenges as the dot-com bubble burst and the broader technology market experienced a dramatic downturn.
In 1999, Horowitz co-founded [[Loudcloud]], a cloud computing and managed services company, along with Marc Andreessen, [[Tim Howes]], and In Sik Rhee. The company aimed to provide internet infrastructure services to businesses during a period when demand for web hosting and managed services was growing rapidly. Loudcloud went public in 2001, though the company faced significant headwinds as the [[dot-com bubble]] burst and many of its clients went out of business or dramatically reduced their technology spending.
 
In a pivotal strategic decision, Loudcloud sold its managed hosting business to [[Electronic Data Systems]] (EDS) in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=EDS to Acquire Loudcloud Hosting Business |url=https://archive.today/20130120015319/http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/18828518/eds-to-acquire-loudcloud-hosting-business.htm |publisher=CRN |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The company then transformed itself into an enterprise software firm focused on data center automation, rebranding as [[Opsware]]. This transformation—from a services company losing money amid the dot-com crash to an enterprise software company—was one of the most challenging periods in Horowitz's career, and he has spoken and written extensively about the experience.


The period following the dot-com crash tested Horowitz's leadership extensively. With Loudcloud's hosting business under financial pressure, the company made a pivotal strategic decision to sell its managed hosting operations to [[Electronic Data Systems]] (EDS) in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=EDS to Acquire Loudcloud Hosting Business |url=https://archive.today/20130120015319/http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/18828518/eds-to-acquire-loudcloud-hosting-business.htm |publisher=CRN |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Following the divestiture, the company reinvented itself as Opsware, an enterprise software firm focused on data center automation. Horowitz served as president and CEO of Opsware, guiding the company through a transformation from a struggling hosting provider to a software business with a viable product and market position.
As CEO of Opsware, Horowitz navigated the company through years of uncertainty, including periods when the company's stock price fell below $1 per share, nearly triggering delisting from the [[NASDAQ]] exchange. The company gradually built its enterprise software business, developing products for automating data center operations, server provisioning, and network management.


The Opsware years were formative for Horowitz and would later serve as the primary source material for his first book. The experience of navigating a company through near-bankruptcy, pivoting its business model, managing layoffs, and rebuilding the organization shaped his views on entrepreneurship and executive leadership. Under his leadership, Opsware grew its enterprise software business to the point where it attracted acquisition interest from major technology companies.
By 2007, Opsware had become a significant player in the data center automation software market. In July 2007, [[Hewlett-Packard]] announced its acquisition of Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion in cash, or $14.25 per share.<ref>{{cite web |title=HP to Acquire Opsware |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The acquisition represented a remarkable turnaround for a company that had nearly collapsed during the dot-com bust. Horowitz's experience leading Opsware through its near-death experience and eventual successful exit became a central narrative in his later writings and investment philosophy.


In July 2007, [[Hewlett-Packard]] acquired Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion, representing a significant return for the company's shareholders and investors.<ref>{{cite web |title=HP to Acquire Opsware |url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html |publisher=Hewlett-Packard |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The acquisition validated Horowitz's decision to pivot the company and provided him with both the financial resources and the credibility to pursue his next venture.
=== Founding of Andreessen Horowitz ===


=== Founding Andreessen Horowitz ===
In July 2009, Horowitz and Marc Andreessen co-founded the venture capital firm [[Andreessen Horowitz]], based in [[Menlo Park, California]]. The firm, commonly referred to by its domain name "a16z" (the letter "a," followed by 16 characters, followed by "z"), was established with the ambition to reimagine the venture capital model. Unlike traditional VC firms that primarily offered capital and board-level guidance, Andreessen Horowitz was designed to provide portfolio companies with a broad range of operational support, including assistance with recruiting, marketing, business development, and executive coaching.


In 2009, Horowitz and Marc Andreessen co-founded the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, based in Menlo Park, California. The firm was established with a distinctive model that sought to differentiate itself from traditional venture capital firms. Andreessen Horowitz adopted an approach modeled in part on talent agencies, building a large team of operational staff, including executives in marketing, recruiting, and business development, to provide portfolio companies with hands-on support beyond capital alone.
The firm's founding thesis was informed significantly by Horowitz's own experiences as a CEO. Having navigated the challenges of building and scaling technology companies firsthand, Horowitz believed that entrepreneurs needed more than just financial backing—they needed practical operational support and a VC partner who understood the day-to-day realities of running a company. This operator-centric approach to venture capital became a distinguishing characteristic of the firm.


The firm's first fund was raised in 2009, and it quickly grew in both size and influence. By January 2012, Andreessen Horowitz had raised $1.5 billion for its third fund in just three years, signaling the rapid scaling of its operations and investor confidence in the firm's approach.<ref>{{cite news |date=2012-01-31 |title=Andreessen Horowitz raises $1.5B for third fund in three years |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/31/andreessen-horowitz-raises-1-5b-for-third-fund-in-three-years/ |work=VentureBeat |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The firm made early and significant investments in companies across the technology sector, establishing a portfolio that would come to include some of the most notable startups of the 2010s.
Andreessen Horowitz raised its first fund relatively quickly and grew at an exceptional pace. By January 2012, the firm had raised its third fund, bringing its total assets under management to approximately $1.5 billion in just three years.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2012-01-31 |title=Andreessen Horowitz raises $1.5B for third fund in three years |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/31/andreessen-horowitz-raises-1-5b-for-third-fund-in-three-years/ |work=VentureBeat |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


Horowitz has served as a general partner at the firm since its founding, playing an active role in investment decisions, firm strategy, and mentoring portfolio company founders. His operational background as a former CEO has been cited as a distinguishing characteristic in his approach to venture investing, as he brings firsthand experience with the challenges that founders face in building and scaling companies.
Over the following years, the firm made notable investments across the technology landscape, backing companies in sectors including enterprise software, consumer internet, financial technology, cryptocurrency, and biotechnology. The firm invested in a number of companies that went on to achieve significant scale and market valuations.


=== Growth and Expansion of a16z ===
=== Growth and Expansion of a16z ===


Under the leadership of Horowitz and Andreessen, the firm expanded well beyond its original focus on software and internet companies. Andreessen Horowitz broadened its investment thesis to encompass sectors including cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, biotechnology, healthcare, financial technology, and artificial intelligence.
Under Horowitz's co-leadership, Andreessen Horowitz expanded far beyond its initial venture capital focus. The firm developed dedicated investment practices in multiple sectors, including crypto and Web3 technologies, biotechnology and health, financial technology, and enterprise infrastructure. This multi-sector approach distinguished the firm from many traditional venture capital partnerships that focused on a narrower range of technology investments.
 
In a notable move, Andreessen Horowitz registered as a financial adviser with the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] in 2019, which allowed the firm greater flexibility to make investments in asset classes beyond traditional startup equity, including public market securities, secondary shares, and cryptocurrencies.


By 2025, the firm had become one of the largest and most influential venture capital firms in the world. In a significant milestone, a16z raised over $15 billion in new venture capital funds, earmarked for investment across artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, biotechnology, health, infrastructure, and growth-stage companies.<ref name="a16z-15b">{{cite web |title=Why Are We Here? Why Did We Raise $15B? |url=https://a16z.com/why-did-we-raise-15b/ |publisher=Andreessen Horowitz |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> This fundraise underscored the firm's ambition to invest at scale across multiple technology verticals.
By 2025, the firm had grown substantially from its founding. In early 2026, Andreessen Horowitz announced that it had raised over $15 billion in new venture capital funds across multiple strategies, including investments in artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, biotechnology, health, infrastructure, and growth-stage companies.<ref name="a16z-15b">{{cite web |title=Why Are We Here? Why Did We Raise $15B? |url=https://a16z.com/why-did-we-raise-15b/ |publisher=Andreessen Horowitz |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> This fundraise underscored the firm's position as one of the largest and most active venture capital firms in the world.


In October 2025, Horowitz made a notable hire for the firm, bringing on Raghu Raghuram, the former CEO of VMware, as Managing Partner and General Partner at a16z.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raghu Raghuram |url=https://a16z.com/raghu-raghuram/ |publisher=Andreessen Horowitz |date=Oct 9, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The hire reflected Horowitz's emphasis on recruiting experienced technology operators into the venture capital firm's leadership ranks.
Horowitz has spoken about his philosophy regarding team size and structure within the firm. In early 2026, he stated that investing teams should not be "too much bigger than basketball teams," reflecting his belief in the importance of small, cohesive investment groups.<ref name="bi-teams">{{cite news |date=2026-01-01 |title=Ben Horowitz says that investing teams shouldn't be 'too much bigger than basketball teams' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-investing-teams-size-a16z-vc-venture-capital-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


Horowitz has expressed a preference for keeping investing teams small and focused. In early 2026, he stated on the a16z podcast that investing teams should not be "too much bigger than basketball teams," advocating for a compact team structure even as the firm itself grew significantly in total headcount and assets under management.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Horowitz says that investing teams shouldn't be 'too much bigger than basketball teams' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-investing-teams-size-a16z-vc-venture-capital-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
In October 2025, the firm announced the hiring of Raghu Raghuram, the former CEO of [[VMware]], as Managing Partner and General Partner, a move that Horowitz characterized as hiring his "Jensen"—a reference to [[Jensen Huang]], the CEO of [[Nvidia]]—to help manage the firm's growing operations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raghu Raghuram |url=https://a16z.com/raghu-raghuram/ |publisher=Andreessen Horowitz |date=Oct 9, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=Oct 9, 2025 |title=Ben Horowitz Hires His 'Jensen'; Vercel Starts a Venture Fund |url=https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/dealmaker/ben-horowitz-hires-jensen-vercel-starts-venture-fund |work=The Information |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


=== Views on Artificial Intelligence ===
=== Views on Artificial Intelligence ===


In the mid-2020s, Horowitz became an outspoken commentator on the development and implications of artificial intelligence. As AI companies commanded increasingly large valuations, Horowitz acknowledged the extraordinary market dynamics while expressing confidence in the underlying demand. He described the AI landscape as "a bit of a brave new world," noting that he had "never seen demand like this" in the technology sector.<ref>{{cite news |title=AI Valuations Look Like A Bubble—But Ben Horowitz Says We've 'Never Seen Demand Like This' In 'A Bit Of A Brave New World' |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-valuations-look-bubble-ben-030128646.html |work=Yahoo Finance |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Horowitz has been a prominent voice in the venture capital industry on the subject of [[artificial intelligence]] (AI). As a16z has invested in a number of AI companies, including [[Safe Superintelligence Inc.]], Horowitz has shared his perspectives on AI's trajectory and its implications for the economy and society.
 
In a September 2025 appearance at Columbia Business School, Horowitz stated that AI is "still in its infancy" and discussed how corporate culture drives resilience during periods of technological disruption.<ref name="columbia-talk" />
 
In early 2026, Horowitz publicly pushed back against predictions that AI would cause mass unemployment. In an interview reported by Business Insider, he argued that fears of an "AI-fueled job apocalypse" were based on a "flawed assumption," suggesting that the relationship between AI and employment was more nuanced than many commentators had portrayed.<ref name="bi-ai-jobs">{{cite news |date=2026-02-01 |title=Ben Horowitz says fears of an AI-fueled job apocalypse are based on a flawed assumption |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-dismisses-fears-of-ai-job-apocalypse-mass-unemployment-2026-2 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


On the question of AI's impact on employment, Horowitz pushed back against predictions of widespread job displacement. In February 2026, he argued that fears of an AI-fueled job apocalypse were "based on a flawed assumption," challenging the notion that artificial intelligence would eliminate work as it had been traditionally understood.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Horowitz says fears of an AI-fueled job apocalypse are based on a flawed assumption |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-dismisses-fears-of-ai-job-apocalypse-mass-unemployment-2026-2 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Regarding AI company valuations, which had drawn scrutiny from market observers, Horowitz acknowledged in early 2026 that valuations appeared high but contended that the underlying demand for AI technologies was unprecedented. He described the AI market as "a bit of a brave new world" and stated that the industry had "never seen demand like this."<ref name="yahoo-ai">{{cite news |date=2026-02-01 |title=AI Valuations Look Like A Bubble—But Ben Horowitz Says We've 'Never Seen Demand Like This' In 'A Bit Of A Brave New World' |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-valuations-look-bubble-ben-030128646.html |work=Yahoo Finance |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


Speaking at Columbia Business School in September 2025, Horowitz shared his view that AI remained "in its infancy" and discussed the relationship between company culture and resilience in periods of rapid technological change.<ref name="columbia" /> The firm's investment portfolio reflected this thesis, with a16z backing AI companies including Safe Superintelligence and other firms at the frontier of the technology.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Horowitz Hires His 'Jensen'; Vercel Starts a Venture Fund |url=https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/dealmaker/ben-horowitz-hires-jensen-vercel-starts-venture-fund |work=The Information |date=Oct 9, 2025 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
=== Writing and Public Commentary ===


=== Writing and Blogging ===
Beyond his investing work, Horowitz has established a significant presence as a writer and public commentator on technology, management, and entrepreneurship. His blog, hosted at bhorowitz.com, gained a substantial readership for its candid, often contrarian takes on leadership, company-building, and Silicon Valley culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz Blog |url=http://bhorowitz.com/ |publisher=Ben Horowitz |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


Horowitz has been a prolific writer throughout his career, maintaining a blog that has attracted a significant readership among technology entrepreneurs and business professionals. His blog posts, published at bhorowitz.com, cover topics including management, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and company culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz Blog |url=http://bhorowitz.com/ |publisher=bhorowitz.com |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
In March 2014, Horowitz published his first book, ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers''.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-01-14 |title=Ben Horowitz book, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things,' debuts in March |url=http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/ |work=Recode |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The book drew heavily on Horowitz's experiences as CEO of Loudcloud and Opsware, offering practical advice on topics such as managing through crises, making layoff decisions, handling executive departures, and maintaining leadership composure during periods of extreme stress. The book was notable for its frank tone and its willingness to address topics that many business authors avoided, such as the emotional toll of leading a company through near-failure.


In March 2014, Horowitz published his first book, ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers''. The book drew extensively on his experiences running Loudcloud and Opsware, addressing the difficult decisions and emotional challenges that confront startup founders and CEOs. It covered topics such as laying off employees, demoting friends, managing one's own psychology during crises, and making decisions with incomplete information.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-01-14 |title=Ben Horowitz book 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things' debuts in March |url=http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/ |work=Recode |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The book became a bestseller and was adopted as recommended reading in many entrepreneurship and business programs.
The book received substantial attention in the business and technology communities. A Bloomberg Businessweek review noted that women were "markedly absent" from the book's narrative, a criticism that generated discussion about representation in Silicon Valley literature.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-03-12 |title=In Ben Horowitz's New Book, Women Are Markedly Absent |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-03-12/in-ben-horowitzs-new-book-women-are-markedly-absent |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


A 2014 Bloomberg Businessweek article noted that ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'' was "markedly absent" of women, an observation that highlighted the gender dynamics of Silicon Valley's technology and venture capital communities.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-03-12 |title=In Ben Horowitz's New Book, Women Are Markedly Absent |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-03-12/in-ben-horowitzs-new-book-women-are-markedly-absent |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Horowitz subsequently published a second book, ''What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture'', which examined the role of organizational culture in business success. The book drew on historical examples—including figures from diverse cultural and historical contexts—to illustrate principles of culture-building in organizations.


Horowitz's second book, ''What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture'', was published in 2019. The book explored the concept of corporate culture through historical case studies, examining figures and movements ranging from the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture to the samurai bushido code, and applied their lessons to modern business management. Horowitz argued that culture is not defined by company perks or mission statements but by the decisions and actions leaders take, especially under pressure.
Horowitz's blog posts and public remarks are frequently characterized by references to [[hip hop]] music and culture. He has incorporated hip hop lyrics and themes into his business writing and speaking, using them as analogies for entrepreneurial challenges and leadership principles.


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Ben Horowitz has three children.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=437132&privcapId=60273327 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ben Horowitz has three children.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Horowitz |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-horowitz/ |publisher=Forbes |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> His father is David Horowitz, the American author and political commentator.


Horowitz is known for his interest in hip-hop music, a theme that appears frequently in his writing and public presentations. He often incorporates rap lyrics and references into his blog posts and books, using them to illustrate management principles and business concepts. This practice has become a recognizable element of his public persona within the technology and business communities.
Horowitz resides in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. He has been publicly noted for his interest in hip hop music, which he frequently references in his professional writing and public appearances. His blog posts often open with hip hop lyrics, and he has discussed the cultural and philosophical parallels he sees between hip hop and entrepreneurship.


Horowitz has also been involved in philanthropic activities. A profile in ''Modern Luxury Silicon Valley'' highlighted his charitable giving and community involvement in the Bay Area.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Giving Kind |url=https://modernluxury.com/silicon-valley/story/the-giving-kind |publisher=Modern Luxury Silicon Valley |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
Horowitz has been involved in philanthropic activities in the Silicon Valley community. He and his wife have participated in charitable giving focused on education and community development in the Bay Area.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Giving Kind |url=https://modernluxury.com/silicon-valley/story/the-giving-kind |publisher=Modern Luxury Silicon Valley |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


A 2014 ''Fortune'' article identified Horowitz as part of Silicon Valley's "stealth power" — influential figures who shape the technology industry from behind the scenes through their investment decisions, advisory roles, and networks.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-02-27 |title=Silicon Valley's stealth power |url=http://fortune.com/2014/02/27/silicon-valleys-stealth-power/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
In 2014, Fortune magazine profiled Horowitz as part of a feature on influential figures in Silicon Valley, describing his role in the technology and investment ecosystem.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-02-27 |title=Silicon Valley's Stealth Power |url=http://fortune.com/2014/02/27/silicon-valleys-stealth-power/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Horowitz has received recognition for his contributions to the technology and venture capital industries. In 2025, he was ranked number 33 on the Forbes Midas List, the publication's annual ranking of the top technology investors globally.<ref name="forbes" /> The Midas List is considered one of the most prominent benchmarks of success in the venture capital industry, and Horowitz's placement reflects the performance of Andreessen Horowitz's investment portfolio.
Horowitz has received recognition from multiple outlets for his contributions to the technology and venture capital industries. As of 2025, he is ranked number 33 on the Forbes Midas List, the publication's annual ranking of the top technology investors in the world.<ref name="forbes" /> The Forbes Midas List is considered one of the most prominent rankings of venture capital investors globally, and inclusion on the list reflects a track record of successful investments in technology companies.


His first book, ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'', received significant attention upon its publication in 2014 and has continued to be cited as a reference work on startup management and entrepreneurial leadership. The book's candid treatment of failure, uncertainty, and the psychological toll of running a company distinguished it from more optimistic business literature prevalent at the time.
His first book, ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'', became a bestseller and is frequently cited as recommended reading for entrepreneurs and business leaders. The book's influence extended beyond Silicon Valley, finding an audience among executives and managers across industries who identified with its themes of leadership during adversity.


Horowitz's blog has also earned recognition within the technology community as a source of practical advice for entrepreneurs and executives. His posts on topics such as hiring, firing, company culture, and wartime versus peacetime leadership have been widely circulated and discussed.
Horowitz's blog has also been recognized as one of the most influential voices in the technology entrepreneurship space. His posts on management topics—including pieces on hiring, firing, training, and the psychological challenges of leadership—have been widely shared and discussed within the technology community.


In September 2025, Horowitz was invited to speak at Columbia Business School, his undergraduate alma mater, where he discussed artificial intelligence, corporate culture, and innovation.<ref name="columbia" /> His continued engagement with academic institutions reflects his standing in the technology and business communities.
Through Andreessen Horowitz, Horowitz has helped shape the modern venture capital industry's approach to supporting portfolio companies. The firm's model of providing extensive operational support alongside capital has been adopted or emulated by numerous other venture capital firms, contributing to a broader shift in how VC firms interact with their portfolio companies.


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Ben Horowitz's career spans the arc of modern Silicon Valley, from the early commercial internet era at Netscape through the dot-com bust, the rise of enterprise software, and the emergence of venture capital as a dominant force in technology development. His experiences as both an operator and an investor have positioned him as a figure whose influence extends across multiple phases of the technology industry's evolution.
Ben Horowitz's career spans two distinct but interconnected phases—technology entrepreneurship and venture capital—and his impact on Silicon Valley has been felt in both domains. His experience building and leading Opsware through the dot-com crash and its subsequent acquisition by Hewlett-Packard provided a foundation of operational credibility that distinguished him from many venture capitalists who had not served as CEOs of publicly traded technology companies.


The founding of Andreessen Horowitz represented a significant development in the venture capital industry. The firm's model — combining capital with operational support, building large service teams, and actively recruiting former operators as investors — influenced how other firms structured their practices. The growth of a16z from its initial fund in 2009 to managing over $15 billion in new capital by 2025 illustrates the scale of impact the firm has achieved under the leadership of Horowitz and Andreessen.<ref name="a16z-15b" />
The founding of Andreessen Horowitz in 2009 represented a significant evolution in the venture capital industry. The firm's operator-centric model, which emphasized providing portfolio companies with comprehensive operational support beyond financial investment, influenced how subsequent venture capital firms structured their offerings to entrepreneurs. The firm's growth from its initial fund to managing over $15 billion in capital across multiple investment strategies reflects its expansion into one of the largest venture capital platforms in the world.<ref name="a16z-15b" />


Horowitz's writing has contributed to a body of literature on technology entrepreneurship that emphasizes the difficult, often unglamorous realities of building companies. ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'' and ''What You Do Is Who You Are'' have been read by a generation of technology founders and managers, influencing how they think about leadership, culture, and decision-making under uncertainty.
As an author and public commentator, Horowitz has contributed to the discourse on entrepreneurial leadership and organizational culture. ''The Hard Thing About Hard Things'' in particular has become a frequently referenced text in business and entrepreneurship education, offering a perspective on the difficulties of company-building that contrasted with more optimistic accounts of startup life that dominated business literature at the time of its publication.


His commentary on artificial intelligence in the mid-2020s, including his views on AI's potential and his skepticism of extreme employment displacement scenarios, has contributed to public and industry discourse at a time of significant technological transition. Through both his investments and his public statements, Horowitz has played a role in shaping how the technology industry and the broader public understand the implications of emerging AI technologies.
Horowitz's ongoing commentary on emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, continues to shape investor and public discourse on the trajectory of the technology industry. His stated belief that AI remains in its early stages and that fears of widespread job displacement are overstated positions him as a prominent advocate for continued technology investment and development.<ref name="bi-ai-jobs" /><ref name="columbia-talk" />


The Opsware experience — navigating a company through the dot-com bust, executing a business model pivot, and ultimately achieving a successful acquisition by Hewlett-Packard — remains a case study in technology entrepreneurship. It demonstrated the possibility of survival and recovery even in the most adverse market conditions, a narrative that Horowitz has shared extensively through his writing and speaking.
His career arc—from engineer to CEO to venture capitalist to author—has established him as a multifaceted figure in American business and technology, with influence extending across entrepreneurship, investment, and the broader cultural conversation about technology's role in society.


== References ==
== References ==
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Latest revision as of 06:35, 24 February 2026


Ben Horowitz
BornBenjamin Abraham Horowitz
13 06, 1966
BirthplaceLondon, England
NationalityAmerican
OccupationVenture capitalist, author, entrepreneur
Known forCo-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), co-founder and former CEO of Opsware
EducationColumbia University (BA)
University of California, Los Angeles (MS)
Children3
AwardsForbes Midas List (#33, 2025)
Website[bhorowitz.com Official site]

Benjamin Abraham Horowitz (born June 13, 1966) is an American businessman, investor, author, and blogger. He is best known as the co-founder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz (commonly known as a16z), one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firms, which he established alongside Marc Andreessen in 2009. Before entering the venture capital industry, Horowitz co-founded and served as president and chief executive officer of the enterprise software company Opsware, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2007 for approximately $1.6 billion.[1] Born in London and raised in the United States, Horowitz has become a significant figure in Silicon Valley's technology and investment ecosystem. He is also a published author, having written The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers (2014), a candid account of the challenges of building and running a technology startup, and What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture.[2] As of 2025, Horowitz ranks number 33 on the Forbes Midas List of top technology investors.[3]

Early Life

Benjamin Abraham Horowitz was born on June 13, 1966, in London, England.[4] His father is David Horowitz, an American journalist and author known for his political commentary. Although born in England, Horowitz grew up in the United States and holds American nationality.

Horowitz was raised in an intellectually stimulating household. His upbringing and his father's background in political writing and commentary exposed him to a wide range of ideas and perspectives from an early age. The family eventually settled in the United States, where Horowitz would go on to pursue his education and career in technology and business.

Details about Horowitz's childhood and formative years in the public record are relatively limited, though he has shared anecdotes from his upbringing in various public talks and in his published writings. In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Horowitz drew on personal experiences from his youth to illustrate broader lessons about resilience, leadership, and decision-making under pressure. His early life experiences, including navigating culturally diverse environments and observing his father's career, would later inform his approach to both entrepreneurship and venture capital investing.

Education

Horowitz attended Columbia University in New York City, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating with the class of 1988.[5][6] He subsequently pursued graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned a Master of Science degree in computer science.[4]

His education combined a liberal arts foundation from Columbia with technical expertise from UCLA's computer science program, a combination that would prove valuable in his later career as a technology entrepreneur and investor. Horowitz has maintained ties with Columbia University, returning to speak at events hosted by the institution. In September 2025, he appeared at Columbia Business School to discuss topics including artificial intelligence, corporate culture, and innovation.[7]

Career

Early Career and Netscape

After completing his graduate studies, Horowitz entered the technology industry during the early 1990s, a period of rapid growth in the personal computing and internet sectors. He began his career working at several technology companies in Silicon Valley, gaining experience in product management and engineering roles.[4]

Horowitz's career trajectory took a significant turn when he joined Netscape Communications, the pioneering web browser company. It was at Netscape that he first worked with Marc Andreessen, the company's co-founder. Andreessen had gained fame as the co-creator of Mosaic, one of the first widely used graphical web browsers, and had co-founded Netscape to commercialize internet browsing technology. The professional relationship between Horowitz and Andreessen that began at Netscape would become one of the most consequential partnerships in Silicon Valley's venture capital history.

At Netscape, Horowitz gained firsthand experience in the dynamics of the rapidly evolving internet industry, including the intense competitive pressures of the browser wars with Microsoft. Following AOL's acquisition of Netscape in 1999, Horowitz and several colleagues moved on to pursue new ventures.

Loudcloud and Opsware

In 1999, Horowitz co-founded Loudcloud, a cloud computing and managed services company, along with Marc Andreessen, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. The company aimed to provide internet infrastructure services to businesses during a period when demand for web hosting and managed services was growing rapidly. Loudcloud went public in 2001, though the company faced significant headwinds as the dot-com bubble burst and many of its clients went out of business or dramatically reduced their technology spending.

In a pivotal strategic decision, Loudcloud sold its managed hosting business to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 2002.[8] The company then transformed itself into an enterprise software firm focused on data center automation, rebranding as Opsware. This transformation—from a services company losing money amid the dot-com crash to an enterprise software company—was one of the most challenging periods in Horowitz's career, and he has spoken and written extensively about the experience.

As CEO of Opsware, Horowitz navigated the company through years of uncertainty, including periods when the company's stock price fell below $1 per share, nearly triggering delisting from the NASDAQ exchange. The company gradually built its enterprise software business, developing products for automating data center operations, server provisioning, and network management.

By 2007, Opsware had become a significant player in the data center automation software market. In July 2007, Hewlett-Packard announced its acquisition of Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion in cash, or $14.25 per share.[9] The acquisition represented a remarkable turnaround for a company that had nearly collapsed during the dot-com bust. Horowitz's experience leading Opsware through its near-death experience and eventual successful exit became a central narrative in his later writings and investment philosophy.

Founding of Andreessen Horowitz

In July 2009, Horowitz and Marc Andreessen co-founded the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, based in Menlo Park, California. The firm, commonly referred to by its domain name "a16z" (the letter "a," followed by 16 characters, followed by "z"), was established with the ambition to reimagine the venture capital model. Unlike traditional VC firms that primarily offered capital and board-level guidance, Andreessen Horowitz was designed to provide portfolio companies with a broad range of operational support, including assistance with recruiting, marketing, business development, and executive coaching.

The firm's founding thesis was informed significantly by Horowitz's own experiences as a CEO. Having navigated the challenges of building and scaling technology companies firsthand, Horowitz believed that entrepreneurs needed more than just financial backing—they needed practical operational support and a VC partner who understood the day-to-day realities of running a company. This operator-centric approach to venture capital became a distinguishing characteristic of the firm.

Andreessen Horowitz raised its first fund relatively quickly and grew at an exceptional pace. By January 2012, the firm had raised its third fund, bringing its total assets under management to approximately $1.5 billion in just three years.[10]

Over the following years, the firm made notable investments across the technology landscape, backing companies in sectors including enterprise software, consumer internet, financial technology, cryptocurrency, and biotechnology. The firm invested in a number of companies that went on to achieve significant scale and market valuations.

Growth and Expansion of a16z

Under Horowitz's co-leadership, Andreessen Horowitz expanded far beyond its initial venture capital focus. The firm developed dedicated investment practices in multiple sectors, including crypto and Web3 technologies, biotechnology and health, financial technology, and enterprise infrastructure. This multi-sector approach distinguished the firm from many traditional venture capital partnerships that focused on a narrower range of technology investments.

In a notable move, Andreessen Horowitz registered as a financial adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019, which allowed the firm greater flexibility to make investments in asset classes beyond traditional startup equity, including public market securities, secondary shares, and cryptocurrencies.

By 2025, the firm had grown substantially from its founding. In early 2026, Andreessen Horowitz announced that it had raised over $15 billion in new venture capital funds across multiple strategies, including investments in artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, biotechnology, health, infrastructure, and growth-stage companies.[11] This fundraise underscored the firm's position as one of the largest and most active venture capital firms in the world.

Horowitz has spoken about his philosophy regarding team size and structure within the firm. In early 2026, he stated that investing teams should not be "too much bigger than basketball teams," reflecting his belief in the importance of small, cohesive investment groups.[12]

In October 2025, the firm announced the hiring of Raghu Raghuram, the former CEO of VMware, as Managing Partner and General Partner, a move that Horowitz characterized as hiring his "Jensen"—a reference to Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia—to help manage the firm's growing operations.[13][14]

Views on Artificial Intelligence

Horowitz has been a prominent voice in the venture capital industry on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI). As a16z has invested in a number of AI companies, including Safe Superintelligence Inc., Horowitz has shared his perspectives on AI's trajectory and its implications for the economy and society.

In a September 2025 appearance at Columbia Business School, Horowitz stated that AI is "still in its infancy" and discussed how corporate culture drives resilience during periods of technological disruption.[7]

In early 2026, Horowitz publicly pushed back against predictions that AI would cause mass unemployment. In an interview reported by Business Insider, he argued that fears of an "AI-fueled job apocalypse" were based on a "flawed assumption," suggesting that the relationship between AI and employment was more nuanced than many commentators had portrayed.[15]

Regarding AI company valuations, which had drawn scrutiny from market observers, Horowitz acknowledged in early 2026 that valuations appeared high but contended that the underlying demand for AI technologies was unprecedented. He described the AI market as "a bit of a brave new world" and stated that the industry had "never seen demand like this."[16]

Writing and Public Commentary

Beyond his investing work, Horowitz has established a significant presence as a writer and public commentator on technology, management, and entrepreneurship. His blog, hosted at bhorowitz.com, gained a substantial readership for its candid, often contrarian takes on leadership, company-building, and Silicon Valley culture.[17]

In March 2014, Horowitz published his first book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers.[18] The book drew heavily on Horowitz's experiences as CEO of Loudcloud and Opsware, offering practical advice on topics such as managing through crises, making layoff decisions, handling executive departures, and maintaining leadership composure during periods of extreme stress. The book was notable for its frank tone and its willingness to address topics that many business authors avoided, such as the emotional toll of leading a company through near-failure.

The book received substantial attention in the business and technology communities. A Bloomberg Businessweek review noted that women were "markedly absent" from the book's narrative, a criticism that generated discussion about representation in Silicon Valley literature.[19]

Horowitz subsequently published a second book, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, which examined the role of organizational culture in business success. The book drew on historical examples—including figures from diverse cultural and historical contexts—to illustrate principles of culture-building in organizations.

Horowitz's blog posts and public remarks are frequently characterized by references to hip hop music and culture. He has incorporated hip hop lyrics and themes into his business writing and speaking, using them as analogies for entrepreneurial challenges and leadership principles.

Personal Life

Ben Horowitz has three children.[20] His father is David Horowitz, the American author and political commentator.

Horowitz resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been publicly noted for his interest in hip hop music, which he frequently references in his professional writing and public appearances. His blog posts often open with hip hop lyrics, and he has discussed the cultural and philosophical parallels he sees between hip hop and entrepreneurship.

Horowitz has been involved in philanthropic activities in the Silicon Valley community. He and his wife have participated in charitable giving focused on education and community development in the Bay Area.[21]

In 2014, Fortune magazine profiled Horowitz as part of a feature on influential figures in Silicon Valley, describing his role in the technology and investment ecosystem.[22]

Recognition

Horowitz has received recognition from multiple outlets for his contributions to the technology and venture capital industries. As of 2025, he is ranked number 33 on the Forbes Midas List, the publication's annual ranking of the top technology investors in the world.[3] The Forbes Midas List is considered one of the most prominent rankings of venture capital investors globally, and inclusion on the list reflects a track record of successful investments in technology companies.

His first book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things, became a bestseller and is frequently cited as recommended reading for entrepreneurs and business leaders. The book's influence extended beyond Silicon Valley, finding an audience among executives and managers across industries who identified with its themes of leadership during adversity.

Horowitz's blog has also been recognized as one of the most influential voices in the technology entrepreneurship space. His posts on management topics—including pieces on hiring, firing, training, and the psychological challenges of leadership—have been widely shared and discussed within the technology community.

Through Andreessen Horowitz, Horowitz has helped shape the modern venture capital industry's approach to supporting portfolio companies. The firm's model of providing extensive operational support alongside capital has been adopted or emulated by numerous other venture capital firms, contributing to a broader shift in how VC firms interact with their portfolio companies.

Legacy

Ben Horowitz's career spans two distinct but interconnected phases—technology entrepreneurship and venture capital—and his impact on Silicon Valley has been felt in both domains. His experience building and leading Opsware through the dot-com crash and its subsequent acquisition by Hewlett-Packard provided a foundation of operational credibility that distinguished him from many venture capitalists who had not served as CEOs of publicly traded technology companies.

The founding of Andreessen Horowitz in 2009 represented a significant evolution in the venture capital industry. The firm's operator-centric model, which emphasized providing portfolio companies with comprehensive operational support beyond financial investment, influenced how subsequent venture capital firms structured their offerings to entrepreneurs. The firm's growth from its initial fund to managing over $15 billion in capital across multiple investment strategies reflects its expansion into one of the largest venture capital platforms in the world.[11]

As an author and public commentator, Horowitz has contributed to the discourse on entrepreneurial leadership and organizational culture. The Hard Thing About Hard Things in particular has become a frequently referenced text in business and entrepreneurship education, offering a perspective on the difficulties of company-building that contrasted with more optimistic accounts of startup life that dominated business literature at the time of its publication.

Horowitz's ongoing commentary on emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, continues to shape investor and public discourse on the trajectory of the technology industry. His stated belief that AI remains in its early stages and that fears of widespread job displacement are overstated positions him as a prominent advocate for continued technology investment and development.[15][7]

His career arc—from engineer to CEO to venture capitalist to author—has established him as a multifaceted figure in American business and technology, with influence extending across entrepreneurship, investment, and the broader cultural conversation about technology's role in society.

References

  1. ↑ "HP to Acquire Opsware".Hewlett-Packard.http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ "Ben Horowitz book, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things,' debuts in March".Recode.2014-01-14.http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ben Horowitz".Forbes.May 27, 2025.https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-horowitz/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Ben Horowitz Biography".Hewlett-Packard.http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2008/techforum/bi_horowitz.pdf.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ "Columbia Forum".Columbia College Today.https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/fall14/columbia_forum.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ "Columbia College Bulletin 2014-2015".Columbia University.http://www.college.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2014-2015_columbia_college_bulletin.pdf#page=60.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Ben Horowitz on AI, Culture, and Succeeding Through the Next Wave of Innovation".Columbia Business School.Sep 23, 2025.https://business.columbia.edu/insights/digital-future/ben-horowitz-ai-culture-innovation.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ "EDS to Acquire Loudcloud Hosting Business".CRN.https://archive.today/20130120015319/http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/18828518/eds-to-acquire-loudcloud-hosting-business.htm.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ "HP to Acquire Opsware".Hewlett-Packard.http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/070723xa.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ↑ "Andreessen Horowitz raises $1.5B for third fund in three years".VentureBeat.2012-01-31.https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/31/andreessen-horowitz-raises-1-5b-for-third-fund-in-three-years/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Why Are We Here? Why Did We Raise $15B?".Andreessen Horowitz.https://a16z.com/why-did-we-raise-15b/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ↑ "Ben Horowitz says that investing teams shouldn't be 'too much bigger than basketball teams'".Business Insider.2026-01-01.https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-investing-teams-size-a16z-vc-venture-capital-2026-1.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Raghu Raghuram".Andreessen Horowitz.Oct 9, 2025.https://a16z.com/raghu-raghuram/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Ben Horowitz Hires His 'Jensen'; Vercel Starts a Venture Fund".The Information.Oct 9, 2025.https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/dealmaker/ben-horowitz-hires-jensen-vercel-starts-venture-fund.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Ben Horowitz says fears of an AI-fueled job apocalypse are based on a flawed assumption".Business Insider.2026-02-01.https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-horowitz-dismisses-fears-of-ai-job-apocalypse-mass-unemployment-2026-2.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ↑ "AI Valuations Look Like A Bubble—But Ben Horowitz Says We've 'Never Seen Demand Like This' In 'A Bit Of A Brave New World'".Yahoo Finance.2026-02-01.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-valuations-look-bubble-ben-030128646.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ↑ "Ben Horowitz Blog".Ben Horowitz.http://bhorowitz.com/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Ben Horowitz book, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things,' debuts in March".Recode.2014-01-14.http://recode.net/2014/01/14/ben-horowitz-book-the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-debuts-in-march/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ↑ "In Ben Horowitz's New Book, Women Are Markedly Absent".Bloomberg Businessweek.2014-03-12.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-03-12/in-ben-horowitzs-new-book-women-are-markedly-absent.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ↑ "Ben Horowitz".Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-horowitz/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ "The Giving Kind".Modern Luxury Silicon Valley.https://modernluxury.com/silicon-valley/story/the-giving-kind.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ↑ "Silicon Valley's Stealth Power".Fortune.2014-02-27.http://fortune.com/2014/02/27/silicon-valleys-stealth-power/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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