Jim Breyer

Jim Breyer
Born	James W. Breyer Template:Birth year and month
Birthplace	New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Venture capitalist, investor
Known for	Founder of Breyer Capital, early investor in Facebook
Education	Stanford University (BS) Harvard University (MBA)
Spouse(s)	Template:Plainlist
Awards	Forbes Midas List

James W. Breyer (born July 1961) is an American venture capitalist, founder and chief executive officer of Breyer Capital, an investment and venture philanthropy firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. Previously a managing partner at Accel Partners, one of Silicon Valley's prominent venture capital firms, Breyer is best known for his early investment in Facebook (now Meta Platforms), which became one of the most lucrative venture capital bets in the history of the technology industry. Over the course of his career, Breyer has invested in more than 40 companies that have gone public or completed a merger, with several of those investments—including Facebook—returning more than 100 times the original cost. Beyond technology, Breyer has increasingly directed his investment activity toward artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and healthcare, building Breyer Capital into a firm that spans multiple sectors. By 2025, his fortune had grown to an estimated $3.8 billion, roughly doubling from earlier assessments, fueled in part by successful bets in the digital assets space. He has served on the boards of numerous public companies and nonprofit institutions, including the Harvard Corporation, and has been a contributor to the World Economic Forum.

Early Life

James W. Breyer was born in July 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut. Details of his early upbringing remain largely private, though his career trajectory suggests an early interest in business, technology, and finance. Growing up during a period of rapid technological change in the United States, Breyer would later pursue studies at two of the nation's most prominent universities, laying the academic groundwork for a career that would place him at the center of the venture capital industry during its most transformative decades.

Education

Breyer earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University, where he studied in the School of Engineering. He later maintained ties with the university, serving on the advisory board of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and as a supporter of the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center.

Following his undergraduate studies, Breyer attended Harvard Business School, where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Harvard Business School later profiled Breyer's career as an example of venture capital leadership. His connection to Harvard would deepen considerably over the years, culminating in his election to the Harvard Corporation, the university's highest governing body, in 2013.

Career

Accel Partners

Breyer rose to prominence as a partner and later managing partner at Accel Partners, one of the leading venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. During his tenure at Accel, Breyer was involved in numerous investments that shaped the technology landscape. The firm, which focused on early-stage and growth-stage technology companies, provided Breyer with a platform to develop relationships with founders and executives across the technology sector.

One of the most consequential decisions of Breyer's career at Accel came in 2005, when the firm led a $12.7 million investment in Facebook, then a nascent social networking site founded by Mark Zuckerberg. The investment proved to be one of the most profitable venture capital deals in history, earning more than 100 times the original cost when Facebook went public in 2012. The Facebook investment established Breyer's reputation as one of the most successful technology investors of his generation.

Breyer's investment activities at Accel were not limited to domestic markets. In 2005, Accel Partners expanded into China, reflecting Breyer's interest in the growing Chinese technology sector. Breyer also developed ties with Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing.

Beyond Facebook, Breyer was involved in the investment in Marvel Entertainment, which yielded significant returns when The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel in 2009. Across his career, Breyer invested in more than 40 companies that eventually went public or were acquired, with many of those investments returning more than 25 times their original cost.

Founding of Breyer Capital

In 2012, Breyer founded Breyer Capital, his own investment and venture philanthropy firm, marking a transition from his role at Accel Partners to an independent investment platform. The firm was structured to allow Breyer to pursue a broader range of investments, including early-stage technology companies, growth-stage enterprises, and philanthropic initiatives.

Breyer Capital's investment thesis has evolved over the years to reflect shifts in the technology landscape. Early investments included the digital currency firm Circle Internet Financial, which raised a seed round from Accel Partners, Breyer, and General Catalyst Partners. This early bet on digital assets foreshadowed Breyer's later, more substantial investments in the cryptocurrency sector.

By 2025, Breyer Capital had become increasingly focused on three major areas: artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and digital assets, and healthcare. The firm's cryptocurrency investments proved particularly lucrative, contributing significantly to the near-doubling of Breyer's personal fortune. Forbes reported in September 2025 that Breyer's net worth had risen to approximately $3.8 billion, attributing much of the growth to gains in the digital assets space. A Forbes cover story profiled Breyer's resurgence, noting that his two sons had become partners in the firm.

Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare Investments

In the mid-2020s, Breyer Capital significantly expanded its focus on artificial intelligence and healthcare. In April 2025, the firm named Morgan Cheatham, a physician-venture capitalist, as Partner and Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences, signaling a strategic commitment to the intersection of AI and medicine. In December 2025, the firm further expanded its healthcare team with the appointment of Dr. Bret Bostwick as Venture Advisor.

Among the healthcare ventures Breyer backed was Harbor Health, a startup cofounded by Dr. Clay Johnston, who had previously led Michael Dell's namesake medical school. Harbor Health raised $130 million from investors including Breyer and Dell.

In the AI sector more broadly, Breyer participated in the $30 million angel funding round for Circuit Holdings, a startup founded by Tyson Tuttle that develops an AI platform for manufacturers and service companies.

In a September 2025 interview with Forbes, Breyer discussed his views on digital currency and the artificial intelligence revolution, framing both as defining themes of the current investment era.

Corporate Board Service

Throughout his career, Breyer has served on the boards of directors of multiple major corporations. He served on the board of Facebook (now Meta Platforms) but announced his departure from the board in 2013. That same year, Breyer also stepped down from the boards of Dell Inc. and Walmart. He served on the board of 21st Century Fox.

Breyer has also been involved in corporate governance networks, including participation in the Lead Director Network, a peer exchange forum for lead directors and presiding directors of public company boards.

Nonprofit and Academic Involvement

In February 2013, Breyer was elected to the Harvard Corporation, the senior governing board of Harvard University, making him one of a small number of individuals to serve in that role. The appointment came at a time when the university's endowment management had drawn scrutiny, and Breyer's investment expertise was noted as a valuable addition to the board. His alumni profile at Harvard Business School further documented his career and contributions to the university.

At Stanford, Breyer served on the advisory board of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and contributed to the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, reflecting his ongoing ties to the university where he earned his undergraduate degree.

Breyer has been a contributor to the World Economic Forum, participating in discussions on technology, investment, and global economic issues. He was also listed as a supporter of FWD.us, the immigration reform advocacy group founded by technology leaders.

Personal Life

Breyer was married to Susan Z. Breyer; the couple divorced in 2004. He married Angela Chao, a businesswoman and the sister of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, in 2012. Angela Chao died in 2024.

Breyer has sons who have become involved in his investment activities. By 2025, Forbes reported that his two sons had become partners at Breyer Capital. One of his sons, Daniel Breyer, published a debut novel in 2025 titled Smokebirds, described as a work of fiction that drew on experiences of growing up in a wealthy Silicon Valley family.

Breyer is based in Austin, Texas, where Breyer Capital is headquartered.

Recognition

Breyer has received recognition throughout his career for his investment record. He has appeared on the Forbes Midas List, which ranks the top technology investors, and on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans. On the Forbes 2021 list of the 400 richest Americans, he was ranked number 389. By 2025, his estimated net worth had grown to approximately $3.8 billion, and he was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine in a profile examining his investment in cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

His election to the Harvard Corporation in 2013 was noted as a significant institutional honor, placing him on the governing body of one of the oldest and most prominent universities in the world. His advisory roles at Stanford and contributions to the World Economic Forum further reflected his standing in the technology and financial communities.

Legacy

Breyer's career is defined in large part by the Facebook investment, which became a touchstone example of venture capital's potential to generate extraordinary returns. The deal, executed while Breyer was at Accel Partners, demonstrated the value of early-stage investment in social networking and internet platforms during a period when such businesses were still considered speculative by many institutional investors.

Beyond Facebook, Breyer's track record of investing in more than 40 companies that reached public markets or were acquired through mergers established him as one of the more prolific venture investors of his era. His later pivot toward artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and healthcare through Breyer Capital reflected broader shifts in the technology investment landscape, as venture capital moved beyond traditional software and internet companies into sectors with significant regulatory and scientific complexity.

The evolution of Breyer Capital into a family enterprise, with his sons joining as partners, represented a relatively unusual model in the venture capital industry, where firms are more commonly structured around professional partnerships rather than family ties. The firm's expansion into healthcare and life sciences, marked by senior hires in 2025, positioned Breyer Capital at the intersection of two of the most active areas of venture investment in the mid-2020s.

Breyer's service on corporate boards—including those of Facebook, Dell, Walmart, and 21st Century Fox—and on the Harvard Corporation reflected a career that extended well beyond the typical scope of venture capital, encompassing corporate governance, academic leadership, and public policy engagement.