Rich Barton

Rich Barton
Name	Richard Barton
Birth date	1967
Birth place	Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Occupation	Entrepreneur, executive, investor
Known for	Founding Zillow, Expedia, Glassdoor, serving as CEO and board member
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Amherst College (B.A.), Stanford University (MBA)
Spouse	Anne Wojcicki (ex)

Rich Barton

Richard Barton (born 1967) is an American entrepreneur, executive, and investor best known for founding major consumer internet companies and for pioneering online marketplaces that transformed real estate and travel search. He co-founded influential firms including Expedia, Zillow, and Glassdoor and has held executive roles at technology firms and venture capital firms, shaping product-driven approaches at Microsoft, Amazon (company), and public companies. Barton’s work intersects with major shifts in Silicon Valley startup culture, platform business models, and data-driven consumer services.

Early life and education

Barton was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in a family with a background in academia and public service; his upbringing included exposure to University of Michigan environs and Midwestern intellectual culture. He attended Amherst College, where he studied political science and developed interests in technology and markets, and later earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, engaging with peers from Silicon Valley and taking classes that connected product design, entrepreneurship, and business strategy. During his formative years he interacted with students and faculty associated with institutions such as Magdalen College through study abroad or visiting scholar programs, shaping a global perspective on consumer behavior and platform economics.

Career

Barton began his career at Microsoft in product planning and quickly moved into leadership roles that combined product strategy and engineering management, collaborating with teams focused on consumer software platforms. He left Microsoft to join Amazon (company) where he contributed to the development of early e-commerce initiatives before co-founding Expedia in 1996 as an online travel agency spun out of Microsoft assets. After Expedia’s growth and public offering, Barton founded Zillow in 2006, serving as CEO and later as executive chairman, steering the company through expansion, acquisitions, and its initial public offering. He also launched Glassdoor in 2007 to aggregate employee reviews and salary data, later stepping into executive and advisory roles across multiple startups and established firms. Barton has served on boards and invested through venture channels in companies tied to technology, media, and consumer marketplaces, interacting with firms such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, and venture organizations that shape startup funding rounds.

Notable ventures and innovations

Barton’s ventures introduced product innovations that altered incumbent industries. Expedia popularized online travel booking tools, integrating inventory and reservation systems linked to global distribution systems used by airlines and hotel chains such as Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International. Zillow pioneered the "Zestimate" algorithmic home valuation model, leveraging property-record databases and public data sources across counties, working alongside parcel records from institutions like county recorder offices and integrating listings from brokers including RE/MAX and Coldwell Banker. Glassdoor created an open platform for employee-sourced company reviews, compensation transparency, and interview insights, influencing hiring practices at corporations such as Google, Apple Inc., and Microsoft. Barton’s approach emphasized search relevance, user experience, and algorithmic ranking techniques akin to systems used by Yahoo! and Google Search, applying these to vertical marketplaces in travel, real estate, and employment.

Leadership and management style

Barton is known for a product-centric leadership model that mirrors practices at Stanford Graduate School of Business startups and established technology firms in Silicon Valley. He emphasizes rapid experimentation, metrics-driven decision-making, and cross-functional teams combining product managers, designers, and engineers—methods also attributed to leaders at Amazon (company) and Facebook. His management favors transparency in company culture, iterative launches, and using data to inform prioritization, drawing comparisons to lean startup methods advocated by Eric Ries and product philosophies taught at MIT Sloan School of Management and Harvard Business School. Barton has typically moved between CEO, chairman, and investor roles, mentoring founders and influencing board governance at public and private companies.

Philanthropy and public positions

Barton has engaged in philanthropic giving and public advocacy, supporting causes tied to technology education, housing affordability, and civic technology initiatives. His philanthropic activities intersect with organizations and initiatives associated with higher education and public policy institutions such as Stanford University, regional housing coalitions, and non-profits addressing workforce development. Barton has spoken at conferences and forums alongside leaders from The Wall Street Journal events, TechCrunch summits, and policy panels that include representatives from federal and state agencies addressing digital marketplaces and consumer protection.

Personal life and recognition

Barton has been profiled in major media outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal for his entrepreneurial achievements and influence on online marketplaces. He has received industry recognition and has been featured on lists highlighting influential executives in technology and innovation ecosystems. Barton resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and maintains involvement in startup mentoring, board service, and investment activities that link him to the broader venture capital and entrepreneurial community.

Category:American chief executives Category:Technology company founders Category:Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni