Biography
Ben Horowitz — vc (a16z) with roots in the Russian Empire
Ben Horowitz co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) in 2009, building it into one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture firms. He previously led Opsware from near-bankruptcy to a $1.6B Hewlett-Packard acquisition.
"Horowitz's grandparents fled the Russian Empire in the early 20th century amid Jewish persecution."
Migration storyRussian Connection
Tracing the roots — Russia (Jewish)
Horowitz's grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire, carrying the survival instincts of Jewish displacement. His father David Horowitz was a radical journalist, and Ben credits his outsider tenacity partly to that inherited edge.
Family Tree
Subject
Ben Horowitz🇺🇸 USA
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Grandparents
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Origin
Russia (Jewish)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Russia (Jewish). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) 2009
02
Led Opsware sale to HP for $1.6B (2007)
03
Author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things (2014)
04
Named to Time 100 Most Influential People
05
a16z AUM surpassed $35B
Sources