Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz is an American entrepreneur, investor, author, and technology executive. He is best known as the co-founder and general partner of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which he established with Marc Andreessen to support technology startups and growth companies. Ben is also a former CEO and co-founder of Opsware, a company that provided enterprise software solutions and was later acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion.

Before starting Andreessen Horowitz, Ben co-founded Loudcloud, a company that offered infrastructure and application hosting services to major organisations such as Ford, Nike, News Corporation, and the United States Army. As the company evolved, he led its transformation into Opsware by selling the hosting business and focusing fully on software. Under his leadership, Opsware expanded to serve hundreds of enterprise customers and reached over $100 million in annual revenue. Following its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard, Ben worked as Vice President and General Manager within HP Software, where he managed a large division with thousands of employees.

Through Andreessen Horowitz, Ben has invested in leading companies, including Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, Pinterest, Airbnb, Coinbase, and many others. He continues to work closely with startup founders and CEOs, offering guidance in areas such as leadership, strategy, and scaling businesses.

Ben is also a published author. His first book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things, offers practical advice for running startups. His second book, What You Do Is Who You Are, explores how to build and maintain strong business cultures. He is active in public discussions on company building, technology trends, and management through podcasts, talks, and written content.

Ben was born in London, England, and raised in Berkeley, California. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Columbia University and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ben Horowitz was born on 13 June 1966 in London, England, and later raised in Berkeley, California, United States. His father is David Horowitz, a known writer and political commentator. Ben completed his Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Columbia University in 1988 and went on to earn a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1990.

Ben started his professional career as an engineer at Silicon Graphics in 1990. In 1995, he joined Netscape as a product manager. At Netscape, Ben worked on various projects and was later promoted to Vice President for the Directory and Security Product Line. After Netscape was acquired by AOL, he became Vice President of AOL’s eCommerce Division, where he managed internet services and business development.

In 1999, Ben co-founded Loudcloud with Marc Andreessen, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. The company offered infrastructure and hosting services for enterprise clients, including well-known names such as Ford, Nike, Gannett, and the United States Army.

In 2001, Loudcloud went public. In 2002, Ben led a major transformation of the company. He sold the managed services part of the business to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and changed the company’s name to Opsware. This shift marked the beginning of its focus on enterprise software. Ben served as President and Chief Executive Officer throughout the company’s existence.

Under Ben’s leadership, Opsware grew to serve hundreds of customers, reached over $100 million in annual revenue, and employed more than 500 people. In 2007, Hewlett-Packard acquired Opsware for $1.6 billion in cash. Ben then worked at Hewlett-Packard as Vice President and General Manager in HP Software, managing a large business unit with approximately 3,000 employees and annual revenue of $2.8 billion.

In 2009, Ben co-founded the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz with Marc Andreessen. The firm started with $300 million and has grown significantly over the years. It invests in early-stage and established technology companies. Some of the firm’s major investments include Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb, GitHub, Coinbase, Pinterest, and Skype. Ben plays an active role in advising founders and management teams of portfolio companies, focusing on scaling businesses, leadership development, and strategic planning.

In addition to his work as an investor, Ben has written two books. His first book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, was published in 2014. It offers practical insights from his own experiences managing and leading companies through difficult times. 

In 2019, he released his second book, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, which explains how business leaders can shape organisational culture through clear values and consistent actions.

Ben frequently appears in podcasts, interviews, and public discussions on company leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of technology. He works closely with the leadership of several Andreessen Horowitz portfolio companies and continues to support new ventures, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise software.

Ben lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Felicia Wiley Horowitz, whom he married in 1988. They have three children. As of 2025, Ben remains a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and continues to be a prominent figure in the global technology and investment ecosystem.

The vision of Ben Horowitz is to provide practical wisdom and essential advice to entrepreneurs and leaders on building and running successful businesses, with a focus on addressing the toughest problems that business schools don't cover. 

He aims to share his personal and often humbling experiences to help aspiring and veteran entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of the startup world and create purposeful cultures in their organizations. Horowitz believes that culture is critical to a company's success, and he draws inspiration from a range of historical and cultural examples to help readers become the kind of leaders they want to be and that others want to follow.

Ben Horowitz has received wide recognition for his leadership and contributions to the technology sector. His book The Hard Thing About Hard Things became a New York Times bestseller and is regarded as a core resource for startup founders. As co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, he helped shape one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms. He has been listed among top tech investors and thought leaders by business publications and is frequently invited to speak on leadership, entrepreneurship, and culture. His impact as a CEO, investor, and author has been acknowledged across the startup and venture capital communities.