Zillow co-founder and Seattle tech icon Rich Barton takes up residence in Las Vegas

The man who helped revolutionize how Americans buy and sell homes has a new residence.

Seattle entrepreneur Rich Barton, who co-founded Zillow Group in Seattle 20 years ago and remains its co-executive chairman, announced on X that he’s now officially a Las Vegas resident: “Kids are launched, empty nest achieved, and we’re excited to start this next chapter.”

The news marks the end of an era for one of Seattle’s most prolific entrepreneurs.

In addition to Zillow, Barton co-founded Expedia Group in the Seattle area 30 years ago, when he was in his late 20s, spinning it out of Microsoft and taking it public in 1999.

GeekWire marked the Expedia anniversary with a retrospective story last month in which Barton reflected on the rise of the online travel company, noting that it had “massive ambition.” Expedia now has a market value of $27 billion, while Zillow is valued at $8 billion.

Through a spokesperson, Barton declined to comment when contacted by GeekWire, so it’s not clear if there are additional motivations behind his new residence.

Regardless, losing a figure of Barton’s status is a blow to the local ecosystem. Barton, whose net worth has repeatedly flirted with the billionaire threshold, has been one of the premier, self-made “unicorn” creators anchoring Washington state’s tech economy.

Other prominent entrepreneurs have left Seattle in recent years, most notably Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who announced in an Instagram message in November 2023 that he was moving to Miami. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz also recently announced on LinkedIn a Miami move, and then last month wrote a critical op-ed in The Wall Street Journal saying Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson “vilifies employers.”

All three framed their moves in personal terms — Barton cited an empty nest, Bezos pointed to family and Blue Origin’s growing Florida presence, and Schultz described entering retirement.

However, the relocations come amid an increasingly heated debate over taxes in Washington state, where lawmakers have expanded taxes on wealthy residents while some business leaders warn that the policies could drive entrepreneurs elsewhere.

Following the state’s transition to a graduated capital gains tax — which now levies a 9.9% rate on gains exceeding $1 million — lawmakers approved a controversial “millionaire’s tax” that sets a 9.9% personal income tax on high earners. The tax, set to take effect in January 2028, is being challenged in court.

Tensions boiled over in tech circles recently after Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson brushed off warnings of capital flight during a public appearance, offering a literal hand-wave and saying “bye” to wealthy residents threatening to leave.

“I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are, like, super overblown,” Mayor Wilson said in April just three months after taking office. “And if — the ones that leave, like, bye.”

The comment drew sharp rebukes from several local founders and venture capitalists who view it as indicative of a growing political hostility toward employers and entrepreneurs.