Chris Dixon
Chris Dixon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ohio, United States |
| Education | BA and MA in philosophy from Columbia University; MBA from Harvard Business School; attended Wesleyan University |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | General partner at Andreessen Horowitz, co-founder and CEO of Hunch, advocate for cryptocurrency and Web3 |
Chris Dixon (born ) is an American entrepreneur and investor in the internet sector, currently holding the position of general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He co-established and served as CEO of Hunch. Dixon is widely recognized as an influential advocate for cryptocurrency and Web3 technologies.
Early life and education
Raised in Ohio, Dixon pursued higher education at Columbia University, where he obtained both a BA and an MA in philosophy. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Initially, he enrolled at Wesleyan University before transferring to Columbia.
Business
Dixon began his venture capital career with Bessemer Venture Partners.
In 2005, he co-launched SiteAdvisor, a company specializing in web security, which was acquired by McAfee a year later. In 2009, alongside Caterina Fake and Tom Pinckney, he founded Hunch, which was purchased by eBay in 2011.
Andreessen Horowitz
Since joining Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California, in 2012, Dixon has been a general partner. He has spearheaded investments in firms such as FiftyThree, Soylent, and Nootrobox. Additionally, he serves on the board of the 3D printing company Shapeways.
An early proponent of Bitcoin, Dixon promoted the cryptocurrency through influential blog posts. By 2014, Andreessen Horowitz had invested close to $50 million in Bitcoin-related enterprises including Coinbase. In 2022, Fortune recognized him as "the world's top crypto investor." Nevertheless, a report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that the crypto fund he established at the firm experienced approximately a 40% loss in value during early 2022—outperforming poorly compared to other venture funds that avoided exposure to volatile cryptocurrencies.
Managing his firm's cryptocurrency portfolio, Dixon announced a new accelerator initiative in October 2022 aimed at fostering crypto startups located in Los Angeles.
He also led Andreessen Horowitz’s investment in Oculus VR and holds a position on its board.
Read Write Own
Dixon authored Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet, published in January 2024. The book reached No. 9 on the New York Times Best Sellers List for Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction during the week ending February 18, 2024; however, it was noted for bulk purchasing. It did not reappear on subsequent NYT lists after staff at Andreessen Horowitz acknowledged that multiple portfolio companies had bought copies in bulk. The publication received mixed critiques, reflecting diverse opinions within the industry regarding its outlook on crypto and Web3.