Chris Sacca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Sacca
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Sacca in 2017
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Christopher Sacca
May 12, 1975 |
| Education | Georgetown University (BS, JD) |
| Occupation | Angel investor, founder of Lowercase Capital |
| Spouse(s) | Crystal English Sacca |
| Children | 3 |
Christopher Sacca (born May 12, 1975) is an American investor, entrepreneur, and lawyer. He is known for investing in new technology companies. He founded Lowercase Capital, a company that invested early in well-known tech companies. These include Twitter, Uber, Instagram, Twilio, and Kickstarter. His smart investments made him one of the top tech investors.
Sacca also worked at Google Inc., where he helped with wireless technology and big business deals. From 2015 to 2020, he was a "Guest Shark" on the TV show Shark Tank. In 2017, Sacca announced he was stepping back from investing. However, in 2021, he returned to investing, focusing on companies that help with climate change.
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Early Life and School
Chris Sacca was born on May 12, 1975, in Lockport, New York. This is a town near Buffalo, New York. His dad was a lawyer, and his mom was a college professor. Chris's parents encouraged him to explore many interests. He remembers going to science museums and book readings instead of regular school sometimes.
Sacca went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He also studied abroad in Ecuador, Ireland, and Spain. He earned a degree in foreign service in 1997. He later got a law degree from Georgetown in 2000. He was known for finding creative ways to get class notes, like hosting parties.
Career Journey
Early Investments and Legal Work
While in law school, Sacca started a company using his student loans. When it didn't work out, he used the rest of the money to trade on the stock market. He found a way to make a lot of money quickly. However, when the market crashed, he ended up owing a large amount. He worked hard and paid off his debt by 2005.
In 2000, Sacca started working as a lawyer in Silicon Valley. He helped tech companies with their investments and business deals. After about a year, he was laid off. He then worked as a freelancer, doing things like writing contracts. In 2002, he joined a company called Speedera Networks.
Working at Google
In 2003, Sacca joined Google. He was part of the legal and business development team. One of his first jobs was to find and secure large amounts of data space around the world. He also led projects for Google's wireless internet and alternative access divisions. This included setting up a free citywide WiFi network in Mountain View, California. Sacca also helped with many of Google's business deals and company purchases. He was one of the first Google employees to receive the Founders’ Award, which is the company's highest honor.
Investing in Startups
While at Google, Sacca started investing his own money in new companies. This is called being an angel investor. He gave advice to these companies on things like strategy and raising money. His first angel investment was in Photobucket, which was later sold. His second investment was in Twitter.
In 2006, Twitter was a new idea for sharing short messages. Sacca invested $25,000 and became one of its first users. He saw the potential in Twitter when others didn't. He later created special funds to buy more and more Twitter shares. Sacca left Google in 2007 to focus more on helping new companies grow.
A big change in his investing happened in 2007 when he moved to Truckee, California. This mountain town near Lake Tahoe became a hub for entrepreneurs. People like Travis Kalanick (who started Uber) would visit and share ideas. Sacca even bought the house next door to host these visiting entrepreneurs.
Lowercase Capital Fund
Sacca officially started Lowercase Capital LLC in 2010. His first fund, Lowercase Ventures Fund I, invested in companies like Uber, Docker, Optimizely, Instagram, and Twitter. Lowercase also invested in non-tech companies like Blue Bottle Coffee Company. Sacca was very involved with the companies he invested in. For example, he helped Uber get the rights to its name. He was a key advisor for Twitter in its early years.
By 2009, he had invested in companies such as Kickstarter and Twilio. In 2010, he started a new, larger investment fund. This fund bought many shares from Twitter stockholders. By 2011, Sacca's funds owned about $400 million worth of Twitter shares. When Twitter went public in 2013, his investments were worth around $1 billion.
In 2013, Matt Mazzeo joined Lowercase Capital as a partner. By 2015, Sacca's firm had a stake in Uber and other successful companies like Stripe and WordPress parent Automattic. Forbes magazine estimated Sacca's personal worth at $1.2 billion. His early Twitter investments had grown hugely, returning billions to investors. Fortune magazine called Lowercase one of the most successful venture capital funds ever.
By 2017, Lowercase Capital had invested in about 80 startups. Sacca sold all his Twitter shares by 2017. In April 2017, he announced he was retiring from venture investing. He said his firm would keep supporting its current companies but would not make new investments.
Lowercarbon Capital for Climate
In 2020, Sacca launched a new fund called Lowercarbon Capital. This fund focuses on companies that address climate change. Sacca and his wife initially funded it themselves. In 2021, the firm raised $800 million from other investors. By August 2021, it had invested in about 50 companies working to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
Shark Tank and Media Appearances
Sacca often talks about investing in the media. He has been featured as an expert by many news outlets like CNBC, the BBC, and CNN. He also appeared on the TV show Shark Tank.
In 2015, he first appeared as a "Guest Shark" on Shark Tank. He invested in several businesses on the show, including HatchBaby and Rent Like a Champion. He continued to appear in later seasons. In one episode, he and another investor put $600,000 into ToyMail, a plush toy connected to a messaging app. Sacca also played himself in the ABC sitcom Alex, Inc..
Awards and Recognition
Since 2011, Chris Sacca has been listed on Forbes' Midas List: Top Tech Investors. This list recognizes the best investors in technology. In 2015, he was featured on the cover of Forbes and ranked No. 3 on the Midas list. In 2017, he moved up to No. 2. BusinessWeek named him one of the top 10 angel investors. Vanity Fair also included him on its "New Establishment" list.
Personal Life
Chris Sacca's wife, Crystal English Sacca, is also a partner at Lowercase Capital. They live in Jackson, Wyoming, and Big Sky, Montana, with their three children.
Sacca is known for wearing Western-style shirts. He bought his first one at an airport and liked the reaction so much that he bought more. In 2011, he gave a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota that NPR called one of the "Best Commencement Speeches, Ever." Sacca is also an athlete. He completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2008. In 2009, he rode his bicycle across the country for charity.
Helping Others
Sacca is involved with charity: water, a group that works to bring clean drinking water to people worldwide. He also supports The Tony Hawk Foundation, which builds skateparks. He has been a fellow at Oxford University and a trustee for MIT Enterprise Forum. He is also a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
In 2019, Chris and Crystal Sacca signed The Giving Pledge. This means they have promised to donate most of their wealth to good causes.
Political Involvement
Sacca was involved in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He advised on technology and helped with fundraising. After Obama won, Sacca helped with the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He also supported Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Sacca supported Hillary Clinton. He spoke out against Donald Trump. In response to a travel ban in 2017, Sacca donated $150,000 to the ACLU. He also donated to The Lincoln Project, a group that opposed Donald Trump's reelection.
Images for kids
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Chris Sacca speaking in 2017
