View source for Marc Andreessen

{{Short description|American entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer (born 1971)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_name         = Marc Lowell Andreessen
| name               = Marc Andreessen
| image              = Marc Andreessen-9 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Andreessen in 2013
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1971|07|09}}
| birth_place        = [[Cedar Falls, Iowa]], U.S.
| education          = [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])
| occupation         = {{Flatlist|
* [[Investor]]
* [[entrepreneur]]
* [[software engineer]]
}}
| known_for          = {{plainlist|
* [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]]
* [[Netscape]]
* [[Opsware]]
* [[Andreessen Horowitz]]
}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen|Laura Arrillaga]]|2006}}
| relatives          = [[John Arrillaga]] (father-in-law)
| children           = John<ref name="Friend2015"/>
| website = {{URL|https://a16z.com/author/marc-andreessen}}
}}

'''Marc Lowell Andreessen''' ({{IPAc-en|æ|n|ˈ|d|r|iː|s|ə|n}} {{respell|an|DREE|sən}}; born July 9, 1971) is an American businessman, venture capitalist, and former software engineer. He is the co-author of [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]], the first [[web browser]] to [[History of the web browser#NCSA Mosaic|display inline images]]; co-founder of [[Netscape]]; and co-founder and general partner of [[Silicon Valley]] venture capital firm [[Andreessen Horowitz]]. He co-founded and later sold the software company [[Opsware]] to [[Hewlett-Packard]]; he also co-founded [[Ning (website)|Ning]], a company that provides a platform for social networking websites. He supported presidential candidates of the Democratic party until 2016. In 2024 he became an advisor to [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-12 |title=Tech billionaire Trump adviser Marc Andreessen says universities will 'pay the price' for DEI |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/12/marc-andreessen-private-chat-universities-diversity/ |access-date=2025-10-06 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Andreessen's net worth is estimated at $1.9 billion as of January 2025.

== Early life and education ==
{{See also|NCSA Mosaic}}

Andreessen was born in [[Cedar Falls, Iowa]], and raised in [[New Lisbon, Wisconsin]],<ref name="simonebio">Simone Payment, ''Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark: The Founders of Netscape'', The Rosen Publishing Group, 2006, p. 15. {{ISBN|978-1-4042-0719-6}}.</ref> which he considered "the sticks".<ref name="bloomberg" /> He is the son of Patricia, customer service operator at [[Lands' End]], and Lowell Andreessen, who worked as a sales manager for the seed producer [[Pioneer Hi-Bred International]].<ref name=bloomberg/><ref name="Friend2015"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyIvOn7sKCsC&pg=PA15 |title=Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark: The Founders of Netscape|first=Simone|last=Payment|via=[[Google Books]]|date= August 15, 2006|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |access-date=July 9, 2013|isbn=9781404207196}}</ref> He has a younger brother named Jeff. In 1998, ''[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]'' reported that Jeff was a history major at the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison|University of Wisconsin]]. Andreessen has stated that he had problematic relationships with his parents and brother, and that he did not like to talk about them.<ref name=bloomberg>{{cite news |last1=Hamm |first1=Steve |title=The Education Of Marc Andreessen |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-04-12/the-education-of-marc-andreessen |work=Bloomberg.com |date=13 April 1998 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250923185315/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-04-12/the-education-of-marc-andreessen |archive-date=23 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kosoff |first1=Maya |title=A look inside the insanely successful life of Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-inside-the-insanely-successful-life-of-investor-marc-andreessen-2015-12 |work=Business Insider |date=13 December 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241217021533/https://www.businessinsider.com/a-look-inside-the-insanely-successful-life-of-investor-marc-andreessen-2015-12 |archive-date=17 December 2024}}</ref>
Andreessen discovered programming at age 12.<ref name=bloomberg/>
In December 1993,<ref name="simonebio" /> Andreessen received his [[bachelor's degree]] in [[computer science]] from the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]] (UIUC).<ref>{{cite web|title=MARC L. ANDREESSEN|url=http://engineering.illinois.edu/engage/distinguished-alumni-and-friends/hall-of-fame/2010/marc-andreessen|website=ENGINEERING AT ILLINOIS|publisher=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref>  As an undergraduate, he interned twice at [[IBM]] in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/27/marc-andreessen-on-the-future-of-the-enterprise/|title=Marc Andreessen On The Future Of Enterprise |author=Alexia Tsotsis|publisher=[[TechCrunch]]|date=January 28, 2013}}</ref> He worked in the [[IBM AIX|AIX]] graphics software development group responsible for the MIT [[X Window System|X]] implementation and ports of the 3D language APIs:  SGI's Graphics Language (GL) and PHIGS.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}  He also worked as a programmer, earning $6.85 per hour, at the [[National Center for Supercomputing Applications]] (NCSA) at the University of Illinois. At that time, he became familiar with [[Tim Berners-Lee]]'s open standards for the [[World Wide Web]], but the World Wide Web browser required advanced programming skills to use. After being shown the graphic web browser [[ViolaWWW]] in late 1992, Andreessen and full-time salaried co-worker [[Eric Bina]] worked on creating a browser with integrated graphics that could be ported to a wide range of computers, including Windows. The result was the Mosaic web browser released in 1993.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Calore |first=Michael |title=April 22, 1993: Mosaic Browser Lights Up Web With Color, Creativity |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/04/0422mosaic-web-browser/ |access-date=2023-09-23 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=April 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424075919/https://www.wired.com/2010/04/0422mosaic-web-browser/?mbid=social_twitter_onsiteshare |url-status=live }}</ref> The new web browser led to a 342,000 percent increase in web traffic in a year. Before Mosaic, there had only been 50 websites on the Web, but the number now increased to 10,000, while the percentage of internet users who surfed the Web increased from 1% to 25%.<ref name="Keen">{{cite book |last1=Keen |first1=Andrew |title=The Internet Is Not the Answer |date=1 September 2018 |publisher=Open Road + Grove/Atlantic |isbn=978-0-8021-9231-8 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D3UkBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 |language=en}}</ref>

{{blockquote|In the Web's first generation, Tim Berners-Lee launched the Uniform Resource Locator (URL), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and HTML standards with prototype Unix-based servers and browsers. A few people noticed that the Web might be better than [[Gopher (protocol)|Gopher]]. In the second generation, Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina developed NCSA Mosaic at the University of Illinois. Several million then suddenly noticed that the Web might be better than sex.| [[Bob Metcalfe]], ''InfoWorld'', August 21, 1995, Vol. 17, Issue 34.<ref name="Web">[http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=4  Roads and Crossroads of Internet History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206040430/http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=4 |date=February 6, 2015 }}  Chapter 4: Birth of the Web</ref>}}

Mosaic is often referred to as the first successful web browser.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frank |first1=Adam |title=About Time: Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang |date=27 September 2011 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4391-6961-2 |page=217 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FtmL1Xy1in4C&pg=PA217 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Aula |first1=Pekka |last2=Heinonen |first2=Jouni |title=The Reputable Firm: How Digitalization of Communication Is Revolutionizing Reputation Management |date=19 October 2015 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-22008-6 |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wuLHCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 |language=en}}</ref> It was also the first browser widely used for both Windows and Mac.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Loubere |first1=Philip |title=A History of Communication Technology |date=12 April 2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-56071-2 |page=260 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oe8eEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA260 |language=en}}</ref>

The NCSA though refused to give the Mosaic team credit for their contribution, so Andreessen, disillusioned, decided to leave the center in 1994.<ref name="Keen"/>

==Career==
Andreessen has worked at [[Netscape]], [[Opsware]], founded [[Andreessen Horowitz]], and invested in many successful companies including [[Facebook]], [[Foursquare (company)|Foursquare]], [[GitHub]], [[Pinterest]], [[LinkedIn]], and [[Twitter]].<ref name=cspan>{{C-SPAN|49641}}</ref>

=== Netscape ===
[[File:Netscape-1.0N.png|thumb|Netscape 1.0 "Network release"]]
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1993, Andreessen moved to [[California]] to work at Enterprise Integration Technologies. Andreessen then met with [[James H. Clark|Jim Clark]], the founder of [[Silicon Graphics]], who had recently exited the firm. Clark believed the Mosaic browser had great commercial possibilities and suggested starting an Internet software company. Soon, [[Mosaic Communications Corporation]] was in business in [[Mountain View, California]], with Andreessen as co-founder and vice president of technology. The University of Illinois was unhappy with the company's use of the Mosaic name, so Mosaic Communications changed its name to Netscape Communications, and its flagship Web browser was the [[Netscape Navigator]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/1789/Marc-Andreessen/|title=Marc Andreessen|publisher=Centre for Computing History |access-date=February 13, 2019}}</ref> Netscape was the first successful commercial web browser (offered for free).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Peitz |first1=Martin |last2=Waldfogel |first2=Joel |title=The Oxford Handbook of the Digital Economy |date=23 August 2012 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-539784-0 |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFm-5WuYfYAC&pg=PA8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Brandt |first1=Richard L. |title=One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com |date=27 October 2011 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-101-51623-2 |page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EShp4X-WlmoC&pg=PT42 |language=en}}</ref> It offers a wide variety of clients, servers, development tools and e-commerce applications.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bidgoli |first1=Hossein |title=Electronic Commerce: Principles and Practice |date=2002 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-095977-8 |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_HnkswLHMC4C&pg=PA31 |language=en}}</ref> It also simplied the interface, increased speed and provided tools to prevent financial transactions in comparison with its predecessor Mosaic.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Abbate |first1=Janet |title=Inventing the Internet |date=24 July 2000 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-51115-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E2BdY6WQo4AC&pg=PA217 |language=en}}</ref>

Netscape's [[initial public offering|IPO]] in 1995 put Andreessen in the public eye. He was on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050217183351/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2005|title=Netscape's Marc Andreessen|date=February 19, 1996|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref><ref>"At just 24, he appeared—barefoot and wearing a crown—on the cover of Time."{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/topstory.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000122134558/http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/topstory.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 22, 2000|publisher=[[Businessweek]]|date=April 13, 1998|title=The Education of Marc Andreessen|author=Steve Hamm}}</ref> and other publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/b3573002.htm|title=04/13/19 Cover Story|publisher=Businessweek|date=April 13, 1998|author=Alan Levenson (photo credit)|url-status=dead|access-date=September 28, 2007|archive-date=November 4, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991104164009/http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/b3573002.htm}}</ref>

Netscape was acquired in 1999 for $4.3 billion by [[America Online|AOL]]. Andreessen's hiring as its [[chief technical officer]] was contingent on the completion of the acquisition.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/1999/02/aol-names-andreessen-cto/|title=AOL Names Andreessen CTO|magazine=WIRED|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228100725/https://www.wired.com/1999/02/aol-names-andreessen-cto/|url-status=live}}</ref> The same year, he was named to the ''[[MIT Technology Review]]'' [[TR35|TR100]] as one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=518 |title=1999 Young Innovators Under 35: Marc Andreessen, 28 |work=[[MIT Technology Review]] |year=1999 |access-date=August 14, 2011 |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227001555/http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=518 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Opsware ===
{{Main|Opsware}}

[[File:Marc Andreeson (153327663).jpg|thumb|Andreessen in 2004]]

After AOL acquired Netscape in late 1998, Andreessen founded Opsware with [[Ben Horowitz]], [[Tim Howes]], and In Sik Rhee.<ref name="CNET Loudcloud">{{cite web|last=Venkat|first=Girish|title=Loudcloud: Early light on cloud computing|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10202058-92.html|work=Business Tech News|publisher=CNET|access-date=August 3, 2012|archive-date=March 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330034003/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10202058-92.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Originally named Loudcloud, the company provided computing, hosting and software services to consumer-facing internet and e-commerce companies. Loudcloud sold its hosting business to [[Electronic Data Systems|EDS]] and changed its name to Opsware in 2003, with Andreessen serving as chairman. Acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion in 2007, it was one of the first companies to offer [[software as a service]] and to attempt cloud hosting.<ref name="pcworld">{{cite web|last1=Martens|first1=China|title=HP Buying Opsware in $1.6 Billion Deal|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/134946/article.html|publisher=PC World|access-date=October 20, 2016|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308174420/https://www.pcworld.com/article/134946/article.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Andreessen Horowitz===
{{Main|Andreessen Horowitz}}

Between 2005 and 2009, Andreessen and Horowitz separately invested a total of $80 million in 45 startups, including [[Twitter]] and [[Qik]].<ref name="UCLA Engineering">{{cite web|last=Wong Kromhout|first=Wileen|title=Ben Horowitz MS '90|url=http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/visitor-links/alumni-parents-friends/alumni-profiles-1/ben-horowitz-ms-201990|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212214752/http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/visitor-links/alumni-parents-friends/alumni-profiles-1/ben-horowitz-ms-201990|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 12, 2012|work=Alumni Profiles|publisher=UCLA Engineering|access-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> The two became well known as [[super angel]] investors.<ref name="UCLA Engineering" /> On July 6, 2009, Andreessen and Horowitz announced their Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.<ref name="CNNMoney">{{cite news|last=Maney|first=Kevin|title=Marc Andreessen puts his money where his mouth is|url=https://money.cnn.com/2009/07/02/technology/marc_andreessen_venture_fund.fortune/index.htm|work=Fortune Magazine|publisher=CNNMoney|access-date=August 3, 2012|date=July 6, 2009|archive-date=August 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827051308/http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/02/technology/marc_andreessen_venture_fund.fortune/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Andreessen Horowitz began with an initial capitalization of $300 million;<ref name="WSJ 2.1.2012">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204652904577194891305125140|title=Andreessen's Firm Raises $1.5 Billion|last=Tam|first=Pui-Wing|date=February 1, 2012|work=Technology|access-date=August 3, 2012|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> within three years the firm grew to $2.7 billion under management across three funds.<ref name="WSJ 4.6.11">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704101604576246844229305376|title=Andreessen Horowitz Raises $200 Million Co-Investment Fund|last=Tam|first=Pui-Wing|date=April 6, 2011|work=Technology|access-date=August 3, 2012|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> In 2012, Andreessen Horowitz's portfolio holdings included [[Facebook]], [[Foursquare (company)|Foursquare]], [[GitHub]], [[Pinterest]], [[Twitter]] and Honor Technology.<ref name="MarketWatch Release">{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/andreessen-horowitz-matrix-partners-invest-112-million-in-meteor-2012-07-25|title=Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix Partners Invest $11.2 Million in Meteor|work=News Release|publisher=MarketWatch|access-date=August 3, 2012|archive-date=August 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830131736/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/andreessen-horowitz-matrix-partners-invest-112-million-in-meteor-2012-07-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2021, ''[[Business Insider]]'' notes that successful IPOs that have cemented Andreessen Horowitz's reputation include [[Okta, Inc.]], [[PagerDuty]], Pinterest, Accolade, [[Slack Technologies]], [[Lyft]], [[DigitalOcean]] and [[Coinbase]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Joyner |first1=April |title=8 multi-billion IPOs that cemented Andreessen Horowitz's power |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/andreessen-horowitz-racks-up-big-stakes-multibillion-dollar-ipos-2021-6 |work=Business Insider |date=25 June 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241213225335/https://www.businessinsider.com/andreessen-horowitz-racks-up-big-stakes-multibillion-dollar-ipos-2021-6 |archive-date=13 Dec 2024}}</ref>

Both Andreessen and the firm have an interest in crypto currency. In 2021, the firm launched a $2.2 billion crypto-focused fund, which was followed by a 2022 $4.5 billion fund dedicated to crypto and blockchain. Notable crypto and NFT startups in its portfolio include Alchemy, [[Dapper Labs]], [[Avalanche (blockchain platform)|Avalanche]], [[OpenSea]], [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] and [[Yuga Labs]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rooney |first1=Kate |title=Andreessen Horowitz raises $4.5 billion crypto fund to take advantage of bargains in down market |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/25/andreessen-horowitz-raises-4point5-billion-crypto-fund-in-down-market.html |work=CNBC |date=25 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rooney |first1=Kate |title=Andreessen Horowitz launches $2.2 billion crypto fund and is 'radically optimistic' despite price fluctuations |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/24/andreessen-horowitz-launches-2point2-billion-crypto-fund.html |work=CNBC |date=24 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, the firm launched the American Dynamism fund, which focuses on hard tech sectors which serve national interest, including space, defense, manufacturing, robotics. The fund has backed companies like the defense manufacturing startup Hadrian and the hypersonic long-range rocket startup Castelion. In 2024, Andreessen Horowitz launched the 12-month American Dynamism Engineering Fellows Program, which was intended to recruit and train technologists.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alamalhodaei |first1=Aria |title=a16z's American Dynamism team launches program to introduce technical minds to VC |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/a16zs-american-dynamism-team-launches-program-to-introduce-technical-minds-to-vc/ |work=TechCrunch |date=21 May 2024}}</ref> Also associated with the American Dynamism fund is the annual American Dynamism summit sponsored by Andreessen Horowitz, which gathers startup founders, investors, Members of Congress and Defense Department officials. The summit is officially non-partisan and has partnered with Democratic defense officials like former Deputy Secretary of Defense [[Kathleen Hicks]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Emma |title=Building Drones—for the Children? |url=http://newyorker.com/news/the-lede/building-drones-for-the-children |work=The New Yorker |date=16 May 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250517202214/https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/building-drones-for-the-children |archive-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>

On September 1, 2009, an investor group that included Andreessen Horowitz acquired a majority stake in [[Skype]] at a valuation of $2.75 billion,<ref name="TechCrunch 11.19.09">{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/ebay-skype-sale/|title=Breaking: eBay Completes Skype Sale At $2.75 Billion Valuation|last=Wauters|first=Robin|date=November 19, 2009|newspaper=TechCrunch|access-date=August 2, 2012|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026051603/https://techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/ebay-skype-sale/|url-status=live}}</ref> which was considered risky.<ref name="WSJ Deal Journal">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/05/10/microsoft-skype-deal-andreessen-horowitz-takes-victory-lap/|title=Microsoft-Skype Deal: Andreessen Horowitz Takes Victory Lap|last=Ovide|first=Shira|date=May 10, 2011|work=Deal Journal|access-date=August 2, 2012|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|archive-date=January 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114151404/http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/05/10/microsoft-skype-deal-andreessen-horowitz-takes-victory-lap/|url-status=live}}</ref> The deal paid off in May 2011 when [[Microsoft]] bought Skype for $8.5 billion.<ref name="WSJ Deal Journal" /> In 2010, the firm assisted Silicon Valley attorney [[Ted Wang]] in creating the first free standardized seed round financing documents, the Series Seed Documents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100301/series-seed-documents-with-a-big-assist-from-andreessen-horowitz-set-to-launch-to-help-entrepreneurs-with-legal-hairballs/|title=Series Seed Documents–With an Assist From Andreessen Horowitz–To Help Entrepreneurs With Legal Hairballs|author=Kara Swisher|author-link=Kara Swisher|publisher=allthingsd.com|access-date=March 4, 2010|archive-date=March 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304064332/http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100301/series-seed-documents-with-a-big-assist-from-andreessen-horowitz-set-to-launch-to-help-entrepreneurs-with-legal-hairballs/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Andreessen joined the [[eBay]] board of directors in 2008 and served on it for six years.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/09/marc-andreessen/|title=Marc Andreessen Joins EBay Board|magazine=WIRED|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2014, he announced his resignation from the board due to the company's decision to break off its [[online payment]]s unit [[PayPal]]. The decision to cut ties with PayPal was a point of contention between Andreessen and investor [[Carl Icahn]]. Icahn advocated for the PayPal split while Andreessen opposed the spin-off, resulting in public disputes. Andreessen was accused by Icahn of putting his own interests in front of what was best for shareholders. Icahn published his argument in an open letter that detailed alleged conflicts of interest in eBay's 2009 sale of Skype to a group of private investors, which included Andreessen's firm.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2014/10/20/marc-andreessen-resigns-from-ebay-board-following-icahn-defeat/|title=Marc Andreessen Resigns From eBay Board Following Icahn Defeat|last=Mac|first=Ryan|work=Forbes|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

The fund is active in Europe. Despite this, in January 2025, after Donald Trump's election, Andreessen Horowitz closed its London office (its first office in Europe, led by general partner [[Sriram Krishnan]]) to pivot back to the crypto market in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matsuda |first1=Tom |title=Andreessen Horowitz closes UK office, pivots back to US crypto market |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/andreessen-closes-london-office-news |work=Sifted |date=24 January 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250125195859/https://sifted.eu/articles/andreessen-closes-london-office-news |archive-date=25 January 2025}}</ref> Nevertheless, it has also been developing a strong scout network in Europe, with a focus on AI startups. The fund has invested in the French unicorn [[Mistral AI]], the German AI image generation startup [[Flux (text-to-image model)|Black Forest Labs]] and Berlin-based automation platform unicorn [[n8n]], the UK's metaverse unicorn [[Improbable (company)|Improbable]] and insurtech startup Hyperexponential.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewin |first1=Amy |title=A16z ramps up scout presence in Europe, despite closing London crypto office |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/a16z-europe-scouts |work=Sifted |date=30 January 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250914151420/https://sifted.eu/articles/a16z-europe-scouts |archive-date=14 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sawers |first1=Paul |title=UK insurtech Hyperexponential raises $73M and eyes US expansion |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/11/hyperexponential-a16z-insurance/ |work=TechCrunch |date=11 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Anne |title=DT's T.Capital invests in German AI tech startup n8n |url=https://www.lightreading.com/ai-machine-learning/deutsche-telekom-s-t-capital-invests-in-german-ai-tech-startup-n8n |work=Light Reading |date=10 October 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

In July 2025, Andreessen Horowitz led the largest seed round in history for AI startup [[Thinking Machines Lab]], which raised a record $2 billion, valuing the firm at $12 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Knight |first1=Will |title=Thinking Machines Lab Raises a Record $2 Billion, Announces Cofounders |url=https://www.wired.com/story/thinking-machines-lab-mira-murati-funding |work=Wired |date=15 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250717074947/https://www.wired.com/story/thinking-machines-lab-mira-murati-funding/#selection-803.64-803.141 |archive-date=17 July 2025}}</ref>

Andreessen Horowitz presents their primary political agenda as defending Little Tech (startups), in contrast to Big Tech incumbents. In April 2025, together with [[Y Combinator]] and AI companies like Anyscale, [[Exowatt]], and [[Sourcegraph]], the firm launched American Innovators Network, a coalition that represents "America's Little Tech ecosystem leading the next era of innovation and economic growth".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Ashley |title=Exclusive: "Little Tech" launches new policy coalition |url=https://www.axios.com/pro/tech-policy/2025/04/02/little-tech-launches-new-policy-coalition |work=Axios |date=2 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Andreessen |first1=Marc |last2=Horowitz |first2=Ben |title=The Little Tech Agenda |url=https://a16z.com/the-little-tech-agenda/ |work=Andreessen Horowitz |date=5 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

''[[The New Yorker]]'''s Tad Friend remarks that Andreessen and Horowitz's leadership styles complement each other, with Andreessen being the visionary chairman while Horowitz is the people-person CEO.<ref name="Friend2015"/>

=== Other business ventures ===
Andreessen cofounded and chaired Ning, the third company he established, after Netscape and Loudcloud.<ref name="Marc Blog">{{cite web|last=Andreessen|first=Marc|title=Merging Glam and Ning|url=http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/|work=Marc Andreessen's Blog|publisher=Marc Andreessen|access-date=August 3, 2012|archive-date=July 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722234518/http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2011, it was announced that Ning had been sold to [[Mode Media]] for a reported price of $150 million. Andreessen joined Glam Media's board of directors after the sale.<ref name="Biz Insider">{{cite web|last=Rosoff|first=Matt|title=Glam Media Buys Marc Andreessen's Ning|url=http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-20/tech/30179213_1_loudcloud-social-networks-online-publishing|work=Articles|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=August 3, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212040634/http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-20/tech/30179213_1_loudcloud-social-networks-online-publishing|archive-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref>

He is a personal investor in companies including [[LinkedIn]]<ref name="WSJ Software Eating">{{cite news|url=https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/|title=Why Software is Eating the World|last=Andreessen|first=Marc|date=August 20, 2011|work=Life & Culture|access-date=August 3, 2012|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}} <!--original paywalled version at https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903480904576512250915629460--></ref> and boutique bank Raine.<ref name="Biz Insider Raine">{{cite web|last=Yarow|first=Jay|title=Eric Schmidt, Sean Parker, Marc Andreessen Invest in Boutique Bank Raine|url=http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-04-11/tech/29968037_1_eric-schmidt-investment-demand-media|work=Investment|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=August 3, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212040627/http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-04-11/tech/29968037_1_eric-schmidt-investment-demand-media|archive-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref>

He has also invested in funds tied to conservative causes such as New Founding, which is described as a "pro-American, Christian" venture capital fund or the "anti-woke" [[1789 Capital]], which aims to build a "parallel economy" (both as personal investments).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jeans |first1=David |title=Here Come The Anti-Woke Venture Capitalists |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjeans/2024/12/23/anti-woke-venture-capital-new-founding/ |work=Forbes |date=23 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241223143505/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjeans/2024/12/23/anti-woke-venture-capital-new-founding/ |archive-date=23 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Jr. Has Big Plans for Monetizing MAGA |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-03-10/donald-trump-jr-and-1789-capital-have-big-plans-for-maga-investing |work=Bloomberg.com |date=10 March 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250415064753/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-03-10/donald-trump-jr-and-1789-capital-have-big-plans-for-maga-investing |archive-date=15 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

Andreessen has invested in multiple special economic zones including [[California Forever]] in northern California,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dougherty |first1=Conor |last2=Griffith |first2=Erin |date=2023-08-25 |title=The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/25/business/land-purchases-solano-county.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Próspera]] off the coast of Honduras,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kusnetz |first=Nicholas |title=A Lawsuit From Backers of a 'Startup City' Could Bankrupt Honduras |url=https://www.wired.com/story/a-lawsuit-from-backers-of-a-startup-city-could-bankrupt-honduras/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> and [[Praxis (proposed city)|Praxis]] in an as yet to be announced location.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Joseph |date=2023-12-12 |title=Who Would Give This Guy Millions to Build His Own Utopia? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/12/style/praxis-city-dryden-brown.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He has also invested in Pronomos Capital,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-30 |title=The VC Plan That Surely Won't Backfire: Tech Bro Colonies |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/pronomos-capitals-new-vc-idea-colonies-of-tech-bros/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}</ref> which is funding multiple special economic zone projects across the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portfolio |url=https://www.pronomos.vc/portfolio |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=www.pronomos.vc |archive-date=March 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320231017/https://www.pronomos.vc/portfolio |url-status=live }}</ref> These special economic zones have been linked by various sources to the Network State movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ropek |first=Lucas |date=2024-12-27 |title=Worst New Trend of 2024: Techno-Colonialism and the Network State Movement |url=https://gizmodo.com/worst-new-trend-of-2024-techno-colonialism-and-the-network-state-movement-2000525617 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Widmann |first=Sebastian |title=Network States – Revolutionary Idea To Potential New Asset Class |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/12/20/network-states--revolutionary-idea-to-potential-new-asset-class/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321161713/https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/12/20/network-states--revolutionary-idea-to-potential-new-asset-class/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Andreessen serves on the board of [[Meta Platforms|Meta]],<ref name="co-founder">{{cite web |author=Dan Frommer |title=Marc Andreessen Joins Facebook Board |url=http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/marc-andreessen-joins-facebook-board |access-date=October 5, 2008 |publisher=Alleyinsider.com |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122231341/http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/marc-andreessen-joins-facebook-board |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]], [[Kno]],<ref name="BizWeek Profile">{{cite web|title=Marc L. Andreessen|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=97899&privcapId=35135559&previousCapId=108856&previousTitle=Hewlett-Packard%20Co|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508123849/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=97899&privcapId=35135559&previousCapId=108856&previousTitle=Hewlett-Packard%20Co|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2013|work=Executive Profile|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=August 4, 2012}}</ref> [[Stanford Hospital and Clinics|Stanford Hospital]],<ref name="Stanford Hospital">{{cite web|title=Silicon Valley Couple Pledge $27.5 Million Gift to Stanford Hospital for Cutting-Edge Emergency Care|url=http://stanfordhospital.org/newsEvents/newsReleases/2007/pledgeEmergencyCare.html|work=News Release|publisher=Stanford Hospital & Clinics|access-date=August 4, 2012|archive-date=July 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727103415/http://stanfordhospital.org/newsEvents/newsReleases/2007/pledgeEmergencyCare.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bump (application)|Bump Technologies]], [[Anki (American company)|Anki]],<ref name="TC: Debuts at WWDC">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/10/anki-debuts-at-wwdc-with-an-ai-car-racing-game-raises-50m-from-a16z-and-others/ |title=Anki Debuts Serious Robotics AI With Fun Racing Game At WWDC, Raises $50M Led By A16Z |last1=Tsotsis |first1=Alexia |date=June 10, 2013 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |publisher=[[AOL Tech]] |access-date=June 10, 2013 |archive-date=November 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103105013/http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/10/anki-debuts-at-wwdc-with-an-ai-car-racing-game-raises-50m-from-a16z-and-others/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Oculus VR]],<ref>{{Cite news| url = https://techcrunch.com/2013/12/12/oculus-vr-raises-75-million-to-help-bring-virtual-reality-goggles-to-the-masses/|title=Oculus VR Raises $75 Million To Help Bring Virtual Reality Goggles To The Masses|author=Chris Velazco|publisher=[[TechCrunch]] |date = December 12, 2013 }}</ref> [[OpenGov]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=OpenGov Picks Up $25 Million More And Adds Marc Andreessen To The Board|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/15/opengov-picks-up-25-million-more-and-adds-marc-andreessen-to-the-board/|access-date=May 18, 2021|website=TechCrunch|date=October 15, 2015 |language=en-US}}</ref> Dialpad, and [[TinyCo]].<ref>{{cite web|title=TinyCo Raises $18 Million From Andreessen Horowitz For Mobile Gaming
 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/02/25/tinyco-raises-18-million-from-andreessen-horowitz-for-mobile-gaming/ |publisher=TechCrunch |date=February 25, 2011}}</ref> Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced in February 2018 that board member Andreessen would not seek reelection at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on April 4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1645590/000164559018000002/form8-kandreessenresignati.htm|title=Form 8-K Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company|date=February 1, 2018|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=February 27, 2018|archive-date=May 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527161333/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1645590/000164559018000002/form8-kandreessenresignati.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In his time at Hewlett Packard, Andreessen had been partially blamed for some of the company's failures, including the recruiting of [[Léo Apotheker]] as well as the acquisitions of [[HP Autonomy|Autonomy]] and [[Palm, Inc.|Palm]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/21/hp-board-member-marc-andreessen-an-internet-pioneer-deserves-some-of-the-blame-for-the-company-s-failures|title=HP Board Member Marc Andreessen, an Internet Pioneer, Deserves Some of the Blame for the Company's Failures|last=Cox|first=Rob|date=November 21, 2012|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/hp-board-disaster-2011-9|title=HP's Board Was Such A Dysfunctional Mess That It Hired Leo Apotheker Without Really Interviewing Him|work=Business Insider|access-date=February 27, 2018}}</ref>

Andreessen advises the leaders of companies in which Andreessen Horowitz invests, including [[Mark Zuckerberg]] of Facebook and [[Mark Pincus]] of Zynga.<ref name="Economist">{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2011/09/03/disrupting-the-disrupters|title=Disrupting the disrupters|date=September 3, 2011|work=Technology Quarterly: Q3 2011|access-date=August 3, 2012|publisher=The Economist|archive-date=September 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915111427/http://www.economist.com/node/21527020|url-status=live}}</ref> For example, he is advisor to [[Asana (web application)|Asana]] and director of [[CollabNet]].<ref name="dialpad">{{cite web|last1=Constine|first1=Josh|title=Marc Andreessen joins board of Dialpad, the desk phone killer|date=November 2016 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/01/dialpad/|publisher=TechCrunch}}</ref> He is a proponent of [[Bitcoin]].<ref>{{Cite news |author=Dylan Love |date=January 21, 2014 |title=Marc Andreessen Has A Great Answer For Why Bitcoin Matters |work=businessinsider.com |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-on-why-bitcoin-is-worth-money-2014-1?op=1&IR=T}}</ref> Andreessen is on an advisory board for [[Neom]], the [[Saudi Arabia]]n government's plan to build a futuristic [[megacity]] in the desert.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top tech execs will help Saudi Arabia build its mega city of the future |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/10/tech/neom-city-investors/index.html |work=CNN |date=October 11, 2018 |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013141328/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/10/tech/neom-city-investors/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Some Silicon Valley Superstars Ditch Saudi Advisory Board After Khashoggi Disappearance, Some Stay Silent |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/10/11/some-silicon-valley-superstars-ditching-saudi-advisory-board-after-khashoggi-disappearance-some-stay-silent/ |work=The Intercept |date=October 12, 2018 |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |access-date=October 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331220041/https://theintercept.com/2018/10/11/some-silicon-valley-superstars-ditching-saudi-advisory-board-after-khashoggi-disappearance-some-stay-silent/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Writings===
{{See also|Techno-Optimist Manifesto}}

In April 2020, early in the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Andreessen published an opinion article, "It's time to build", describing the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|United States' COVID-19 response]] and suggesting technological and cultural solutions to the problem.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2020|title=IT'S TIME TO BUILD|url=https://a16z.com/2020/04/18/its-time-to-build/|access-date=January 6, 2021|website=Andreessen Horowitz|language=en-US|archive-date=February 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213103200/https://a16z.com/2020/04/18/its-time-to-build/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Griffith|first1=Erin|last2=Lorenz|first2=Taylor|date=May 19, 2020|title=The Hot New Thing in Clubby Silicon Valley? An App Called Clubhouse|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/technology/clubby-silicon-valley-app-clubhouse.html|access-date=January 6, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108011523/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/technology/clubby-silicon-valley-app-clubhouse.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2023, Andreessen published a "[[Techno-Optimist Manifesto]]" arguing that civilization is built on technology and that "Technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreessen |first=Marc |date=2023-10-16 |title=The Techno-Optimist Manifesto |url=https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Andreessen Horowitz |language=en |archive-date=November 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123234238/https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He has also described himself as a "[[TESCREAL|tescrealist]]".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Zuckerman |first=Ethan |author-link=Ethan Zuckerman |date=January 16, 2024 |title=Two warring visions of AI |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/technology/64491/two-warring-visions-of-artificial-intelligence-tescreal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701165000/https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/technology/64491/two-warring-visions-of-artificial-intelligence-tescreal |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |access-date=June 29, 2024 |website=[[Prospect (magazine)|Prospect]] |language=en}}</ref>

Thinkers who have been noted to inform his writings include the German socialist philosopher [[Robert Michels]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marquis |first1=Christopher |title=Marc Andreessen’s Manifesto for Rule by the Few |url=https://jacobin.com/2025/06/andreessen-manifesto-oligarchy-tech-democracy |work=jacobin.com |date=16 June 2025}}</ref> [[Friedrich Nietzsche]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hammond |first1=Samuel |title=Was Nietzsche a Techno-Optimist? |url=https://www.city-journal.org/article/was-nietzsche-a-techno-optimist |work=City Journal |date=13 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and the Italian writer [[Filippo Tommaso Marinetti]], who was the founder of [[Futurism]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rose |first1=Janus |title=Major Tech Investor Calls Architect of Fascism a 'Saint' in Unhinged Manifesto |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/major-tech-investor-calls-architect-of-fascism-a-saint-in-unhinged-manifesto/ |access-date=10 October 2025 |work=VICE |date=17 October 2023}}</ref>

===Awards and accolades===

Andreessen and Horowitz were ranked No. 6 on ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''{{'}}s 2011 New Establishment List,<ref name="Vanity Fair">{{cite web|title=The 2011 New Establishment List: And the Top Spot Goes to...|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/09/the-2011-new-establishment-list--and-the-top-spot-goes-to---?mobify=0|work=VF Daily|date = September 2011|publisher=Vanity Fair|access-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> no. 1 on [[CNET]]'s 2011 most influential investors list<ref name="CNET Investors">{{cite web|title=Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz |url=http://news.cnet.com/2300-1001_3-10010632.html |work=12 of the most influential tech investors of 2011 |publisher=CNET |access-date=August 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208230221/http://news.cnet.com/2300-1001_3-10010632.html |archive-date=February 8, 2012 }}</ref> and Nos. 2 and 21, respectively, on the 2012 ''[[Forbes]]'' [[Midas List]] of Tech's Top Investors.<ref name="Midas List">{{cite news|title=2012's Top Tech Investors|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/midas/2012/midas-list-top-tech-investors.html|work=The Midas List|publisher=Forbes|access-date=August 3, 2012|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144607/https://www.forbes.com/lists/midas/2012/midas-list-top-tech-investors.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, Andreessen was named in the [[Time 100|''Time'' 100]], an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world assembled by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''.<ref name=Time2012>{{cite news|last=McCracken|first=Harry|title=The 100 Most Influential People in the World|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112116,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419073159/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112116,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 19, 2012|access-date=August 15, 2012|newspaper=Time|date=April 18, 2012}}</ref> His essay "Software is eating the world" has been influential and widely cited.<ref name="WSJ Software Eating"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/08/29/software-ate-the-world-now-ai-is-eating-software/|title=Software Ate The World, Now AI Is Eating Software|first=Tarry|last=Singh|website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/07/software-is-eating-the-world-5-years-later/|title=Software is still eating the world|date=June 7, 2016|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525225308/https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/07/software-is-eating-the-world-5-years-later/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Andreessen|first=Marc|date=August 20, 2011|title=Why Software Is Eating The World|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903480904576512250915629460.html|access-date=June 19, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

In 2013, Andreessen was one of five Internet and Web pioneers awarded the inaugural [[Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering]].<ref>[http://qeprize.org/ "2013 Winners Announced"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630095437/http://qeprize.org/ |date=June 30, 2015 }} Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering</ref>

Andreessen was one of six inductees in the [[World Wide Web Hall of Fame]] announced at the [[First International Conference on the World-Wide Web]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |author=Robert Cailliau |author-link=Robert Cailliau |date=May 1994 |title=WWW94 Awards |url=http://www94.web.cern.ch/WWW94/Awards0529.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306023448/http://www94.web.cern.ch/WWW94/Awards0529.html |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=September 25, 2011 |publisher=CERN}}</ref><ref name="Friend2015">{{cite magazine |author=Friend, Tad |author-link=Tad Friend |date=May 18, 2015 |title=Tomorrow's advance man : Marc Andreessen's plan to win the future |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/tomorrows-advance-man |department=Letter from California |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |volume=91 |issue=13 |pages=58–73 |access-date=August 5, 2015 |archive-date=August 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240820210401/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/tomorrows-advance-man |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Influence in tech===

[[File:TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 - Day 2.jpg|thumb|Marc Andreessen speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 at Pier 48 on September 13, 2016 in San Francisco, California.]]

In April 2012, Andreessen and Andreessen Horowitz General Partners Ben Horowitz, [[Peter Levine (venture capitalist)|Peter Levine]], [[Jeff Jordan (venture capitalist)|Jeff Jordan]], [[John O'Farrell (venture capitalist)|John O'Farrell]], and [[Scott Weiss]] pledged to donate half their lifetime incomes from venture capital to charitable organizations.<ref name=Reuters>{{cite news|last=McBride|first=Sarah|title=Andreessen Horowitz partners pledge income to charity|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-andreessenhorowitz-charity-idUSBRE83O1CV20120425|publisher=Reuters|access-date=August 3, 2012|date=April 25, 2012}}</ref>

[[Andrew Keen]] remarks that "more than any other single individual , Andreessen was responsible for transforming the nonprofit Internet into a winner - take - all economy".<ref name="Keen"/> One of Andreessen's recognizable decisions was to make [[Hyperlink|hyperlinks]] appear in blue and visited links in purple in the NCSA Mosaic web browser, a change that was implemented around 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blanchard |first=Elise |title=Why are hyperlinks blue? {{!}} The Mozilla Blog |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/en/internet-culture/deep-dives/why-are-hyperlinks-blue/ |access-date=2025-10-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> This choice, while seemingly simple, had a profound impact on the development of the World Wide Web. The blue hyperlink became a standard convention, allowing users to easily identify clickable text and navigate the burgeoning online world. This intuitive design choice contributed significantly to the widespread adoption of the web and remains a fundamental element of web design to this day. Andreessen has publicly explained his reasoning for the color choice, noting in an interview<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kejW7Kj4v8Y |title=Why Hyperlinks are Blue |language=en |access-date=2025-10-01 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> that he simply "liked blue" and needed a color that would stand out on the original gray background of the browser, along with purple being visually distinct for visited links.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blanchard |first=Elise |title=Why Are Hyperlinks Blue {{!}} The Mozilla Blog |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/en/internet-culture/why-are-hyperlinks-blue-revisited/ |access-date=2025-10-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Andreessen, alongside [[Peter Thiel]] and [[Eric Schmidt]], are often considered the important tech investors in the U.S. defense industry sector. The ''[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]'' remarks that while Schmidt often issues warnings about the risk of the U.S. losing technological lead and Thiel emphasizes dominance over opponents, Andreessen strives for achieving peace through deterrence. His important investments in the area include [[Anduril Industries]], [[Shield AI]], the drone startup Skydio and the counter-drone startup Epirus.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rueegg (graphics) |first1=Philipp Wolf (text), Jasmine |title=Profits and power drive tech figures' defense ambitions |url=https://www.nzz.ch/english/profits-and-power-drive-tech-figures-defense-ambitions-ld.1885694 |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |date=23 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brenes |first1=Michael |last2=Hartung |first2=William D. |title=Private Finance and the Quest to Remake Modern Warfare |url=https://quincyinst.org/research/private-finance-and-the-quest-to-remake-modern-warfare/#h-meet-the-players |work=Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft |date=3 June 2024}}</ref>

In February 2016, Andreessen posted a tweet in response to India's decision to apply [[net neutrality]] to Facebook's proposed project [[Free Basics]]. The tweet suggested that anti-colonialism had been catastrophic for the Indian people. Andreessen later deleted the tweet following criticism from Indians and non-Indians alike (including Facebook founder [[Mark Zuckerberg]]).<ref name="dc">{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/100216/net-neutrality-indians-fume-over-offensive-tweet-by-facebook-board-member.html|title=Net Neutrality: Indians fume over offensive tweet by Facebook board member|website=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thenextweb.com/in/2016/02/10/marc-andreessen-just-offended-1-billion-indians-with-a-single-tweet/ |title=Marc Andreessen just offended 1 billion Indians with a single tweet|date=February 10, 2016|first=Abhimanyu|last=Ghosha|website=[[The Next Web]]|access-date=December 22, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Mark Zuckerberg responds to Andreessen's tweet|url = https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102645335962321 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/4/10102645335962321 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|publisher=[[Facebook.com]]|first=Mark|last=Zuckerberg|date=February 11, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{Undue weight inline|date=July 2025|reason=Isolated criticisms and scandals are inappropriate WP:BALASP}} Facebook spent millions advertising Free Basics to the Indian public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/12/facebook-free-basics-india-zuckerberg|title=The inside story of Facebook's biggest setback|date=May 12, 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|first=Rahul|last=Bhatia|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref> The project failed due to violations, setting preferential tariffs in accessing content and setting up a [[Closed platform|"walled garden"]] on the internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/08/free-basics-and-facebooks-waterloo-in-india/|title=Free Basics And Facebook's Waterloo In India|first=Vivek|last=Wadhwa|website=[[TechCrunch]]|date=February 8, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2019|archive-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114003255/http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/08/free-basics-and-facebooks-waterloo-in-india/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/facebooks-free-basics-service-shut-down-indian-regulators-over-net-neutrality-2237865|title=Facebook's Free Basics Service Shut Down In India|date=December 23, 2015|work=[[International Business Times]]|first=David|last=Gilbert|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref>

In April 2016, Facebook shareholders filed a class action lawsuit to block Zuckerberg's plan to create a new class of non-voting shares. The lawsuit alleges Andreessen secretly coached Zuckerberg through a process to win board approval for the stock change, while Andreessen served as an independent board member representing stockholders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-marc-andreessen-text-message-stock-reclassification-lawsuit-2016-12|title=Here are the chummy behind-the-scenes text messages between Mark Zuckerberg and Marc Andreessen that surfaced in a Facebook lawsuit|last=Heath|first=Alex|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=December 13, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2019|archive-date=February 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215005452/https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-marc-andreessen-text-message-stock-reclassification-lawsuit-2016-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to court documents, Andreessen shared information with Zuckerberg about their progress and concerns and helped Zuckerberg negotiate against shareholders. Court documents included transcripts of private texts between Zuckerberg and Andreessen.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/marc-andreessen-facebook-texts-to-zuckerberg-shareholders/|title=Marc Andreessen accused of conflict of interest based on private texts to Zuckerberg|last=Chang|first=Lulu|website=[[Digital Trends]]|date=December 9, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref>

==Politics==
===Political activities===
Andreessen endorsed and voted for [[Bill Clinton]], [[Al Gore]], [[John Kerry]], [[Barack Obama]] and [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/16/andreessen-horowitz-co-founders-explain-why-theyre-supporting-trump/ |title=Andreessen Horowitz co-founders explain why they're supporting Trump |first=Marina |last=Tempkin |date=July 16, 2024 |work=[[TechCrunch]] |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204043249/https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/16/andreessen-horowitz-co-founders-explain-why-theyre-supporting-trump/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012, Andreessen donated $100,000 to Republican presidential candidate [[Mitt Romney]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Nicholas |date=2012 |title=SURPRISE: Silicon Valley Hero Marc Andreessen Is Backing Romney |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/surprise-silicon-valleys-hero-marc-andreessen-is-backing-romney-2012-3?op=1 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2012/07/17/marc-andreessen-talks-facebook-romney-and-yahoo.html |title=Marc Andreessen Talks Facebook, Romney and Yahoo |first=Julia |last=Boorstin |date=July 17, 2012 |work=[[CNBC]] |archive-date=August 29, 2023 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829111246/https://www.cnbc.com/2012/07/17/marc-andreessen-talks-facebook-romney-and-yahoo.html |url-status=live }}</ref> During the 2016 primary season, he endorsed Republican candidate [[Carly Fiorina]], but after Fiorina dropped out of the race, Andreessen switched his endorsement to the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, citing the Republican nominee [[Donald Trump]]'s immigration stance.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.recode.net/2016/6/14/11940052/marc-andreessen-donald-trump-hillary-clinton |title=Asked why he supports Clinton over Trump, Marc Andreessen responds: 'Is that a serious question?' |first=Dawn |last=Chmielewski |date=June 14, 2016 |work=[[Recode]] |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |access-date=August 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919171406/http://www.recode.net/2016/6/14/11940052/marc-andreessen-donald-trump-hillary-clinton |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-trump-and-clinton-2016-6 |title=Marc Andreessen on why he's supporting Clinton over Trump: 'Is that a serious question?' |first=Matt |last=Weinberger |date=June 15, 2016|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=December 22, 2019}}</ref>

In July 2024, Andreessen announced he would donate to [[Super PAC|super PACs]] that support [[Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign|Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Field |first1=Hayden |last2=Cnbc • • |date=2024-07-16 |title=Andreessen Horowitz founders plan to donate to pro-Trump super PAC |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/business/money-report/andreessen-horowitz-founders-plan-to-donate-to-pro-trump-super-pac/5601949/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=NBC New York |language=en-US}}</ref> During the first half of 2025, Andreessen donated $3 million to [[MAGA Inc.]], a super PAC that supports Donald Trump.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Kamisar |first=Ben |last2=Bowman |first2=Bridget |date=2025-07-31 |title=Trump's super PAC raises a massive $177 million, bolstering his political influence |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trumps-super-pac-raises-massive-177-million-bolstering-political-influ-rcna222400 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250803174359/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trumps-super-pac-raises-massive-177-million-bolstering-political-influ-rcna222400 |archive-date=2025-08-03 |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en}}</ref>

Andreessen is a mega-donor to the political superPAC and pro-cryptocurrency advocacy group [[Fairshake]].<ref name="newyorker.com">{{cite magazine |last1=Duhigg |first1=Charles |title=Silicon Valley, the New Lobbying Monster |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/14/silicon-valley-the-new-lobbying-monster |access-date=5 June 2025 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=7 October 2024| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009105608/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/14/silicon-valley-the-new-lobbying-monster |archivedate=October 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Andreessen came out against president [[Joe Biden]]'s [[Joe Biden 2024 presidential campaign|re-election bid]], saying he feared higher taxes on billionaires and stricter regulations on industries he invests in (cryptocurrency and AI).<ref name="newyorker.com"/> On [[Joe Rogan]]'s podcast in November 2024, Andreessen claimed that some cryptocurrency users have been unfairly [[debanking|debanked]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=David |date=2024-12-10 |title=How tech's right-wing elite made 'debanking' claims into a political rallying points |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/debanking-what-is-meaning-crypto-musk-rogan-andreessen-rcna182597 |website=NBC News}}</ref>

While not officially part of [[Elon Musk]]'s [[Department of Government Efficiency|DOGE]], Andreessen has been listed as a “a key networker for talent recruitment” at the agency, according to ''The Washington Post''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-11-24 |title=Musk and Ramaswamy race to build a 'DOGE' team for war with Washington |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/24/musk-ramaswamy-doge-trump/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250218203747/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/24/musk-ramaswamy-doge-trump/ |archive-date=February 18, 2025 |access-date=2025-03-21 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Franceschi-Bicchierai |first=Kirsten Korosec, Zack Whittaker, Charles Rollet, Sean O'Kane, Lorenzo |date=2025-03-12 |title=The people in Elon Musk's DOGE universe |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/12/the-people-in-elon-musk-doge-universe/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=March 21, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321161713/https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/12/the-people-in-elon-musk-doge-universe/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He has also shared insight about DOGE's plans in various interviews.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dyos |first=Stuart |title=Marc Andreessen says DOGE is focused on the 'ghost town' of Washington, D.C., where most employees don't go to the office |url=https://fortune.com/2025/01/16/marc-andreessen-doge-elon-musk-donald-trump-federal-rto-remote-office/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref>

Several authors note that Andreessen belongs to a small group of tech leaders who play an increasingly central role not only in the Silicon Valley, but also in the U.S. political life. German journalist [[Claus Kleber]], author of the [[ZDF]] documentary ''Trump und das Silicon Valley – Staatsstreich der Tech-Oligarchen'' ("Trump and Silicon Valley - coup d'état of the tech oligarchs"), opines that Andreessen's power is only outmatched by that of Peter Thiel, who often works alongside him. [[Evgeny Morozov]], writing for the Spanish ''[[El País]]'', notes that Andreessen "reimagines money" for the government, and that the tech leaders (dubbed "oligarch-intellectuals" by Morozov) have power to turn their "interpretive gift [...] into legislative mandate".<ref>{{cite news |title="Democracy in the USA is being abolished" |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/international/democracy-in-the-usa-is-being-abolished-2710433.html |work=blue News |date=25 May 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leimann |first1=Eric |title=Ex-"heute journal"-Moderator Claus Kleber malt düsteres US-Szenario: "Demokratie wird abgeschafft" |url=https://www.hoerzu.de/aktuelles/claus-kleber-im-interview-die-schockstarre-und-angst-im-neuen-amerika-sind-allgegenwaertig/ |work=HÖRZU |date=20 May 2025 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Taplin |first1=Jonathan |title=How Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, and Andreessen—Four Billionaire Techno-Oligarchs—Are Creating an Alternate, Autocratic Reality |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/08/musk-thiel-zuckerberg-andreessen-alternate-autocratic-reality?srsltid=AfmBOooEvmtlXXmF7yffoTHBbqAHiN_58pcFW9NF-_-Vq7B_FYMMMykr |work=Vanity Fair |date=22 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Elliott |first1=Vittoria |title=Tech Billionaires Already Captured the White House. They Still Want to Be Kings |url=https://www.wired.com/story/tech-billionaires-communities/ |work=Wired |date=26 September 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250930040316/https://www.wired.com/story/tech-billionaires-communities/ |archive-date=30 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Morozov |first1=Evgeny |title=Tech oligarchs impose their prophetic visions |url=https://english.elpais.com/opinion/2025-04-27/tech-oligarchs-impose-their-prophetic-visions.html |work=EL PAÍS English |date=27 April 2025 |language=en-us}}</ref>

===Political views===
Regarding his shift towards the Republican party, Andreessen explained that he was shocked by the Biden administration's aggressive attitude towards crypto currency and AI. In 2025, when interviewed by ''[[The New York Times]]'''s [[Ross Douthat]], he recounted an occasion (in May 2024) in which he and Ben Horowitz attempted to meet with then-President [[Joe Biden]], who declined the meeting but sent senior staff to explain the new policies, which included making sure "that A.I. is going to be a function of two or three large companies", directly regulated and controlled by the government without competition from any startup, as well as a ban on the free creation and release of code.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jetha |first1=Rya |title=Tech billionaire Marc Andreessen goes full MAGA on Joe Rogan podcast |url=https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/27/marc-andreessen-joe-rogan-trump-maga-silicon-valley/ |work=sfstandard.com |date=27 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Sophie |title=Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump to Ward Off Tech’s Detractors |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-06-11/marc-andreessen-s-silicon-valley-allies-in-the-trump-administration |work=Bloomberg.com |date=11 June 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250611100651/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-06-11/marc-andreessen-s-silicon-valley-allies-in-the-trump-administration#selection-1297.0-1297.16 |archive-date=11 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Douthat">{{cite news |last1=Douthat |first1=Ross |title=How Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump’s Arms |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/opinion/marc-andreessen-trump-silicon-valley.html |date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250131043516/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/opinion/marc-andreessen-trump-silicon-valley.html |archive-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> Andreessen's claim was disputed by [[Sam Altman]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rollet |first=Charles |date=2024-12-21 |title=Sam Altman disputes Marc Andreessen's description of AI meetings with Biden administration |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/20/sam-altman-disputes-marc-andreessens-description-of-ai-meetings-with-biden-administration/ |access-date=2025-10-12 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

Andreessen also criticized elite education institutions for having radicalized children of the privileged class, teaching them to hate capitalism and start their job at his companies with the intention to destroy those companies from inside:

{{blockquote|In other words, the young children of the privileged going to the top universities between 2008 to 2012, they basically radicalized hard at the universities, I think, primarily as a consequence of the global financial crisis and probably Iraq. Throw that in there also. But for whatever reason, they radicalized hard [...]  What I now understand it to be historically is a rebirth of the New Left [...] It turned out to be a coalition of economic radicals, and this was the rise of Bernie Sanders, but the kids turned on capitalism in a very fundamental way. They came out as some version of radical Marxist, and the fundamental valence went from "Capitalism is good and an enabler of the good society" to "Capitalism is evil and should be torn down." And then the other part was social revolution and the social revolution, of course, was the Great Awokening, and then those conjoined. And there was a point where the median, newly arrived Harvard kid in 2006 was a career obsessed striver and their conversation with you was: "When do I get promoted, and how much do I get paid, and when do I end up running the company?" And that was the thing.
By 2013, the median newly arrived Harvard kid was like: "[expletive] it. We’re burning the system down. You are all evil. White people are evil. All men are evil. Capitalism is evil. Tech is evil."<ref name="Douthat" /><ref name="Wilkins"/><ref name="Green"/>}}

''Futurism'' counters Andreessen's point on elite education by showing that the political position of the average American remains stable.<ref name="Wilkins">{{cite news |last1=Wilkins |first1=Jon Christian, Joe |title=Top AI Investor Says His Companies Are Filled With "America-Hating Communists" Destroying Them From the Inside |url=https://futurism.com/marc-andreessen-america-hating-communists |work=Futurism |date=18 January 2025}}</ref> But ''Bloomberg'' notes that among the tech champions, the Democrats' turn to identity politics and technology-skepticism has spurred a rightward shift. ''Bloomberg'' remarks that the skepticism against new technology is based on issues such as "privacy, monopoly power and social media’s effects on young people", but criticizes the crackdown on crypto in particular, describing it as bringing "no discernible political benefit" as there are very few voters who are fixated on anti-crypto matters.<ref name="Green">{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Joshua |title=How Silicon Valley Swung From Obama to Trump |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-13/how-silicon-valley-swung-from-obama-to-trump |work=Bloomberg.com |date=13 February 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250213093024/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-13/how-silicon-valley-swung-from-obama-to-trump |archive-date=13 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

Andreessen has supported high-skilled immigration as a source of talent for the tech industry, but by January 2025, he said that he was reconsidering this position. He has also criticized [[Diversity, equity, and inclusion|DEI]] policies issued by government and institutions in multiple occasions. In a 2014 interview with ''[[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]]'''s [[Kevin Roose]], he questioned the need of diversity rules on ethnicities. His reasoning was that companies were so desperate for talent that they would try to get it from anywhere. He also questioned the fact white and Asian people of different ethnicities and religions were often grouped together and considered not diverse. In a 3.5h interview talk with [[Lex Fridman]], Andreessen said that mandatory [[Nasdaq|NASDAQ]] rules that imposed diversity criteria on corporate boards were "crazy", recounting that on one occasion he was tempted to describe himself as "bisexual" to help Meta meet those criteria, as he felt for Peter Thiel, who was horrified when Meta lawyers suggested that he classified himself as "diverse".<ref name=Frid>{{cite web |last1=Fridman |first1=Lex |title=Transcript for Marc Andreessen: Trump, Power, Tech, AI, Immigration & Future of America {{!}} Lex Fridman Podcast #458 |url=https://lexfridman.com/marc-andreessen-2-transcript/ |website=Lex Fridman |access-date=12 October 2025 |date=26 January 2025}}</ref> In July 2025, the ''[[Washington Post]]'' published leaked messages Andreessen sent to top officials in the Trump administration, stating that "The combination of DEI and immigration is politically lethal [...] they systematically cut most of the children of the Trump voter base out of any realistic prospect of access to higher education and corporate America". He also named [[Stanford University]], the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT) as well as the [[National Science Foundation]] (NSF) as particular culprits, warning that these institutions "will pay the price". In a group chat, he allegedly called for the NFS to receive "the bureaucratic death penalty". Reacting to the messages, MIT's spokesperson said that, "MIT is merit-based and affordable, driven by innovation and entrepreneurship, and committed to excellence — all with a mission of national service", while Stanford refused to comment on Andreessen's characterization of the university.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nisen |first1=Max |title=Why Marc Andreessen thinks tech’s diversity problem is overstated |url=https://qz.com/283864/why-marc-andreessen-thinks-techs-diversity-problem-is-overstated |work=Quartz |date=20 October 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Roose |first1=Kevin |title=Marc Andreessen on Why Optimism Is Always the Safest Bet |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/10/marc-andreessen-in-conversation.html |work=Intelligencer |date=20 October 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tiku |first1=Nitasha |title=Tech billionaire Trump adviser Marc Andreessen says universities will ‘pay the price’ for DEI |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/12/marc-andreessen-private-chat-universities-diversity |work=The Washington Post |date=12 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250714005805/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/12/marc-andreessen-private-chat-universities-diversity/ |archive-date=14 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Herzlich |first1=Taylor |title=Billionaire Trump ally Marc Andreessen warns elite universities will 'pay the price' for DEI |url=https://nypost.com/2025/07/14/business/billionaire-trump-ally-marc-andreessen-warns-elite-universities-will-pay-the-price-for-dei/ |date=14 July 2025}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
	
Andreessen identifies himself as German-American.<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=Marc Andreessen |user=pmarca|number=1877579181846048858 |title=This is who the catastrophic incumbent leadership of Germany has been excluding with a collusive cordon sanitaire. My God. As a German-American myself, this is absolutely humiliating.}}</ref>

Andreessen married [[Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen|Laura Arrillaga]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Quinn |title=Andreessen Casts a Wide Net |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 15, 2007 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-aug-13-fi-wonderboy13-story.html}}</ref> She is the founder of the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund and daughter of Silicon Valley real estate billionaire [[John Arrillaga]]. The couple met in 2005, at a New Year’s Eve dinner organized by Andreessen. Andreessen considered Arrillaga and her father his replacement family. They got married nine months later. They have one son who was named John after Laura's father. John was carried by a gestational surrogate. According to ''[[Business Insider]]'', John was 8-years-old in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kay |first1=Grace |last2=Kai Xiang |first2=Teo |title=Billionaire Marc Andreessen says he's teaching his 8-year-old son ChatGPT: 'This is like the most important thing I've done as a father' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-teaching-son-chatgpt-ai-2023-7 |work=Business Insider |date=2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230729110611/https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-teaching-son-chatgpt-ai-2023-7 |archive-date=29 Jul 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Friend |first1=Tad |title=Who Funds the Future? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/tomorrows-advance-man |work=The New Yorker |date=11 May 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200123183957/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/tomorrows-advance-man |archive-date=23 January 2020}}</ref>

In 2009, Andreessen issued a $25,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the 1987 unsolved murder of Barbara Blackstone, a teacher from [[New Lisbon High School|New Lisbon High School in Wisconsin]], which he had attended.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netscape co-founder Andreessen offers reward |url=https://www.twincities.com/2009/03/31/netscape-co-founder-andreessen-offers-reward/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=Twincities.com - Pioneer Press |agency=Pioneer Press |date=31 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202175128/https://www.twincities.com/2009/03/31/netscape-co-founder-andreessen-offers-reward/ |archive-date=2 December 2024}}</ref> The case remains unsolved as of 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perry |first1=Rachael |title=What happened to Barbara Blackstone?; 35 years later and her death remains unsolved |url=https://www.wkow.com/news/what-happened-to-barbara-blackstone-35-years-later-and-her-death-remains-unsolved/article_33debcbc-5bcf-11ed-a763-3b9bd6e1eea9.html |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=WKOW.com |publisher=Allen Media Broadcasting |date=3 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318000453/https://www.wkow.com/news/what-happened-to-barbara-blackstone-35-years-later-and-her-death-remains-unsolved/article_33debcbc-5bcf-11ed-a763-3b9bd6e1eea9.html |archive-date=18 March 2023}}</ref>

In 2021, he and his wife bought a property in Malibu for $177 million from Serge and Florence Azria. This was the highest price paid for a California property at that time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/marc-andreessen-is-the-buyer-of-serge-azrias-malibu-home-11635531243 |title=Marc Andreessen Is the Buyer of Serge Azria's Malibu Home |first=E.B. |last=Solomont |date=October 29, 2021 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327153136/https://www.wsj.com/articles/marc-andreessen-is-the-buyer-of-serge-azrias-malibu-home-11635531243 |url-status=live }}</ref> As of February 2023, his net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion by ''[[Forbes]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marc Andreessen |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/marc-andreessen/ |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902212115/https://www.forbes.com/profile/marc-andreessen/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, Andreessen advocated against the construction of 131 multifamily housing units in their affluent [[Atherton, California]] town.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demsas |first=Jerusalem |date=August 5, 2022 |title=The Billionaire's Dilemma |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/marc-andreessens-opposition-housing-project-nimby/671061/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028013838/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/marc-andreessens-opposition-housing-project-nimby/671061/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a letter, Andreessen and his wife wrote that they opposed permitting more than one house on a single acre of land.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Griffith |first=Erin |date=August 12, 2022 |title=The Summer of NIMBY in Silicon Valley's Poshest Town |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/technology/nimby-housing-silicon-valley-atherton.html |access-date=September 25, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230911230013/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/technology/nimby-housing-silicon-valley-atherton.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Andreessen's comments sparked criticisms of hypocrisy, as he had previously argued for increased housing supply, in particular in California.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

==Works==
* "[[Techno-Optimist Manifesto]]" by Marc Andreessen. 2023.
* [https://a16z.com/why-software-is-eating-the-world/ "Why Software is Eating the World" by Marc Andreessen. August 20, 2011.]
* [https://a16z.com/ai-will-save-the-world/ "Why AI Will Save the World" by Marc Andreessen. June 6, 2023.]
* [https://a16z.com/the-little-tech-agenda/ "The Little Tech Agenda" by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. July 5, 2024.]
* [https://a16z.com/podcast/ai-robotics-the-new-global-arms-race/ "AI, Robotics & the New Global Arms Race" (podcast from the series ''The Ben and Marc show'') by Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen. October 29, 2024.]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
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* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

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