Spencer Rascoff#dot.la
{{short description|American businessman}}
Spencer Rascoff (born October 24, 1975) is an American entrepreneur and businessman. He is the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Zillow Group, as well as one of the co-founders of Hotwire.com. Rascoff was on the board of directors of Palantir.
Early life and education
Rascoff is Jewish. He was born to Jane and Joseph Rascoff. His father was a business manager and tour producer for numerous well known musicians including The Rolling Stones, U2, and Paul Simon.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/business/media/joseph-rascoff-dead-business-manager-for-rolling-stones.html|title = Joseph Rascoff, Who Had Rolling Stones' Tours Under His Thumb, Dies at 71|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 11 April 2017|last1 = Sandomir|first1 = Richard}} Rascoff grew up in New York and then Los Angeles, where he attended Harvard-Westlake. He received a degree in 1997 from Harvard University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~class97/reunion/who.html|title = Hr97 5th Reunion}}
Career
After graduating from college, Rascoff worked as a private equity investor at TPG Capital and also as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.{{cite news |last=Cao |first=Jing |date=3 August 2014 |title=Zillow CEO Rascoff plays the long game |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/zillow-ceo-rascoff-plays-the-long-game/ |work=The Seattle Times}}
=Hotwire.com=
In 1999, at the age of 24, Rascoff co-founded Hotwire.com, a leading Internet travel company, which a few years later was sold to InterActiveCorp for $685 million. Rascoff then served as vice president of lodging for Expedia before leaving to co-found Zillow.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/realestate/commercial/spencer-rascoff.html|title = Spencer Rascoff|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 21 October 2014|last1 = Marino|first1 = Vivian}}
=Zillow=
Rascoff served various roles through the years including chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and VP of Marketing until his appointment to CEO in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.zillowgroup.com/leadership/|title=About Us}} As CEO, Rascoff led Zillow through its 2011 IPO and 15 acquisitions. In 2017, Rascoff was named "The Most Powerful Person in Residential Real Estate" by the Swanepoel Power 200.{{cite news|last1=Stiles|first1=Marc|title=Report names Zillow CEO the most powerful person in real estate|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/01/09/report-names-zillow-ceo-the-most-powerful-person.html|agency=Puget Sound Business Journal|date=Jan 9, 2017}} Rascoff stepped down from his CEO position in February 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/21/zillow-says-co-founder-rich-barton-will-return-as-ceo-replacing-spencer-rascoff.html|title=Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff is out — co-founder Rich Barton is taking over|last=Salinas|first=Sara|date=2019-02-21|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-04-08}} In April 2020, Rascoff resigned from Zillow's board of directors.{{Cite web|url=https://therealdeal.com/2020/04/07/zillow-co-founder-spencer-rascoff-leaves-board/|title=Spencer Rascoff Leaves Zillow Board - The Real Deal|date=2020-04-07|website=The Real Deal New York|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/spencer-rascoff-departs-zillow-group-board-1-year-stepping-ceo/|title=Spencer Rascoff departs Zillow Group board, 1 year after stepping down as CEO|date=2020-04-07|website=GeekWire|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-08}}
=dot.la=
In January 2020, Rascoff co-founded dot.la, a news site for the California tech startup industry.{{cite web |title= Former Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff launches dot.LA, a news site for Southern California tech|last= Schlosser|first=Kurt |date=9 Jan 2020 |website=GeekWire |publisher=GeekWire, LLC |access-date=12 Nov 2020 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/ex-zillow-ceo-spencer-rascoff-launches-dot-la-tech-news-site-cover-socal-startups/}} After a couple of years the company fired most of their employees and pivoted to a weekly newsletter.
=Pacaso=
In October 2020, Rascoff co-founded Pacaso alongside Austin Allison. Pacaso is positioned as a real estate platform that makes second home ownership more accessible through shared ownership.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-pandemic-boosts-suburban-home-demand-startup-sells-a-new-ownership-model-11601553600|title = WSJ News Exclusive | as Pandemic Boosts Suburban-Home Demand, Startup Sells a New Ownership Model|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|date = October 2020|last1 = Parker|first1 = Will}} Pacaso has been described by some as an alternative take on the timeshare model of property ownership.{{Cite news|title=A Startup Is Turning Houses Into Corporations, And The Neighbors Are Fighting Back|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/08/24/1030151330/a-unicorn-startup-is-turning-houses-into-corporations|access-date=2021-08-25|newspaper=NPR|date=24 August 2021|language=en|last1=Rosalsky|first1=Greg}}{{Cite web|last=Duarte|first=Jesse|title=Home co-ownership company sues St. Helena in dispute over definition of timeshare|url=https://napavalleyregister.com/community/star/news/home-co-ownership-company-sues-st-helena-in-dispute-over-definition-of-timeshare/article_38f299c5-addf-56c8-991f-b9c96b5402e0.html|access-date=2021-08-25|website=Napa Valley Register|date=13 April 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Journal|first=Will Parker {{!}} Photographs by Rachel Bujalski for The Wall Street|date=2021-06-20|title=Napa Valley Feud Pits Real-Estate Startup Against Homeowners|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/napa-valley-feud-pits-real-estate-startup-against-homeowners-11624181404|access-date=2021-08-25|issn=0099-9660}}
=Recon Food=
In June 2021, Rascoff co-founded Recon Food with his daughter, Sophia Rascoff. The app uses technology to search a user's camera roll for all previous food-related photos and automatically upload them to the app.{{Cite web |last=SCHLOSSER |first=KURT |date=June 29, 2021 |title=Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and teen daughter cook up a new food-focused social media startup |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2021/ex-zillow-ceo-spencer-rascoff-teen-daughter-cook-new-food-focused-social-media-startup/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Geek Wire}}
=Match Group=
In February 2025, Rascoff was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Match Group by the board of directors. {{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/04/match-appoints-zillow-co-founder-spencer-rascoff-as-ceo.html|title = Match appoints Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff as CEO|website = CNBC.com|date = 4 February 2025|last1 = Subin|first1 = Samantha}}
Other ventures
In 2015, he co-wrote and published his first book, “Zillow Talk: Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2015/02/22/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/|title=Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books - Best Sellers - February 22, 2015 - The New York Times|work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}}
In 2020, Rascoff held the position of Visiting Executive Professor at Harvard Business School where he co-created and co-taught the “Managing Tech Ventures” course.{{cite web |last=Kuhlman |first=Cara |date=9 Jul 2020 |title=Tech Moves: Zillow co-founder joins Palantir board; Hootsuite names new CEO; and more |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/tech-moves-zillow-co-founder-joins-palantir-board-hootsuite-names-new-ceo/ |access-date=12 Nov 2020 |website=GeekWire |publisher=GeekWire, LLC |quote=}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rascoff, Spencer}}
Category:American technology company founders
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:American chief executives
Category:Harvard-Westlake School alumni
{{US-business-bio-1970s-stub}}