What is Marc Andreessen's Net Worth?
Marc Andreessen, a renowned entrepreneur, software engineer, and investor, boasts a net worth of $2 billion. He co-authored Mosaic, the pioneering web browser, and gained fame and fortune by co-founding Netscape. He also co-founded Opsware and the social media network platform Ning.
In recent times, Andreessen has achieved remarkable success as a venture capitalist. He is a general partner of his venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, and serves on the boards of companies like Facebook and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Early Life, Education, and Mosaic
Born on July 9, 1971, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Marc Andreessen was raised in New Lisbon, Wisconsin. His parents are Lowell and Patricia. He pursued higher education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an undergraduate, he interned at IBM in Austin, Texas, focusing on the AIX graphics software development group. He also worked at the University of Illinois' National Center for Supercomputing Applications, learning from Tim Berners-Lee's open standards for the web.
Alongside Eric Bina at NCSA, Andreessen authored the web browser Mosaic, instrumental in popularizing the Internet. Mosaic was the first graphical web browser to display images inline with text. Andreessen graduated from UIUC in 1993 with a computer science bachelor's degree.
Netscape
After graduating, Andreessen moved to California to work at Enterprise Integration Technologies. He met Silicon Graphics founder Jim Clark, who recognized Mosaic's potential. With $4.1 million from Clark, they founded Mosaic Communications Corporation, later renamed Netscape Communications. Their flagship browser was rebranded as Netscape Navigator.
On August 9, 1995, Netscape's IPO was groundbreaking, with the stock price increasing from $14 to $75 per share, ultimately reaching a market cap of $3 billion in one day. A month later, it was trading at $115 per share. Microsoft engaged in fierce competition during the "browser wars," leading to significant legal battles over antitrust concerns.
In 1999, Netscape was acquired by AOL for $4.3 billion, making Andreessen the chief technology officer of AOL. That same year, MIT Technology Review recognized him as one of the top 100 innovators under age 35.
Loudcloud/Opsware
Post-Netscape, Andreessen co-founded Loudcloud with Tim Howes, Ben Horowitz, and In Sik Rhee. The company provided computing, software, and hosting services. In 2003, they sold their hosting business to Electronic Data Systems and rebranded as Opsware. Opsware was later acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2007 for $1.6 billion.
Andreessen Horowitz
Between 2005 and 2009, Andreessen and Horowitz invested $80 million in 45 startups, including Twitter. In 2009, they founded Andreessen Horowitz, a venture firm. Located in Menlo Park, the firm invests in sectors like gaming, education, e-commerce, and cloud computing.
Andreessen Horowitz grew rapidly, with initial capital of $300 million reaching $2.7 billion within three years. Their portfolio includes GitHub, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Foursquare. They were part of an investor group that acquired Skype for $2.75 billion, sold to Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011.
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Other Business Interests
Andreessen served on eBay's board from 2008 to 2014 but resigned over disagreements about PayPal splitting from eBay. He holds board positions in multiple companies, including Facebook, Stanford Hospital, Oculur VR, OpenGov, and TinyCo. He has invested in LinkedIn and Raine and advises for Asana and the planned megacity Neom, Saudi Arabia.
Andreessen also co-founded and chaired Ning, a platform for creating custom social networks, purchased by Mode Media in 2011 for around $150 million.
Criticisms
Andreessen has faced criticism for his remarks. In 2016, he suggested anti-colonialism harmed India and supported controversial British journalist Milo Yiannopoulos. He was also criticized for a conflict of interest, advising Mark Zuckerberg on a stock change while serving as an independent board member.
Personal Life
In 2006, Andreessen married philanthropist Laura Arrillaga, daughter of the late Silicon Valley billionaire John Arrillaga. They have a son named John.
Real Estate
In October 2021, Marc and Laura paid $177 million for a 7-acre clifftop property in Malibu, setting a California record for the most expensive home sale. They also bought a vacant lot in Las Vegas for $36 million and acquired a second Malibu beach home for $44.5 million in March 2022. Their northern California residence in Atherton was purchased for $16.6 million in 2007. This mansion was listed for sale at $33.375 million in 2024.
