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{{Short description|American Internet entrepreneur}}

factoids

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.| nationality = | citizenship = | death_date = class=nowrapZynga>Former CEO & Chief Product Officer at ZyngaHTTPS://VENTUREBEAT.COM/2016/03/01/ZYNGA-NAMES-EX-EA-EXEC-FRANK-GIBEAU-AS-ITS-CEO/LAST=TAKAHASHIWEBSITE=VENTUREBEAT.COMACCESSDATE=OCTOBER 27, 2017ARCHIVE-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2017TITLE=ZYNGA'S LATEST UNRAVELING: PINCUS OUT AS PRODUCT CHIEFWEBSITE=ZDNET.COMDATE=APRIL 23, 2014ARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 25, 2014, live, }}Alison Gelb2017|reason=divorce}}University of Pennsylvania (BS)|Harvard University (MBA)}}| children = 3}}Mark Jonathan Pincus (born February 13, 1966)WEB,weblink Mark Pincus, 22 May 2012, CNBC, 18 February 2024,weblink 5 December 2012, live, is an American Internet entrepreneur known as the founder of Zynga, a mobile social gaming company. Pincus also founded the startups Freeloader, Inc., Tribe Networks, and Support.com.NEWS, Miguel Helft, Will Zynga Become the Google of Games?,weblink A serial entrepreneur, he sold his first company, Freeloader, an early Internet broadcast service, for $38 million, and took public his second, a business software maker called Support.com., New York Times, July 24, 2010, 2010-07-24,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161110083239weblink">weblink November 10, 2016, live, Pincus served as the CEO of Zynga until July 2013, then again from 2015 to 2016.NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus, Founder of Zynga, Is Replaced as C.E.O. Again, Wingfield, Nick, 2016-03-01, The New York Times, 2018-02-05, en-US, 0362-4331,weblink 2017-12-01, live, Pincus was named 2009 "CEO of the Year"VentureBeat January 2010 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915044300weblink |date=2017-09-15 }}[link] at The Crunchies technology awardsTechCrunch January 2010 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130120004weblink |date=2010-11-30 }}. Crunchies2009.techcrunch.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-13. and a year later was named Founder of the Year at the 2010 ceremony.Congratulations Crunchies Winners! Twitter Takes Best Startup Of 2010 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018233823weblink |date=2017-10-18 }}. TechCrunch (2011-01-21). Retrieved on 2011-11-13. Zynga is considered to be the pioneer of the social gaming industry.WEB, Kesarios, George, Can Zynga Execute In The Online Gambling Space?,weblink Blog Post, 10 December 2012, Seeking Alpha, 4 February 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130213051216weblink">weblink 13 February 2013, live, In 2011, Zynga went public with a $1 billion IPO.NEWS, Pepitone, Julianne, Zynga files for $1 billion IPO,weblink 4 February 2013, CNNMoney, 1 July 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121215165410weblink">weblink 15 December 2012, live, Pincus co-founded Reinvent Capital in 2018, an investment firm, with Reid Hoffman and hedge fund manager Michael Thompson.WEB, Primack, Dan, Zynga founder Mark Pincus is raising $700 million for a new investment fund,weblink 2021-03-14, Axios, 22 January 2019, en, NEWS, 2020-09-18, A New Spin on SPACs, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2021-03-14, 0362-4331, He co-created the Stanford Graduate School of Business course on Product Management with Professor Amir Goldberg.WEB, Zynga and the Launch of Farmville,weblink 2021-03-14, Stanford Graduate School of Business, en,

Early life and background

Pincus is Jewish. His family lives Hareetz: "One day in Silicon Valley" by Guy Rolnick {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322141526weblink |date=2012-03-22 }} August 3, 2010 in Chicago in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. He is the son of Donna (née Forman) and Theodore Pincus.Chicago Sun Times: "Ted Pincus, PR specialist, Sun-Times columnist, dies" BY DAVID ROEDER {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202171955weblink |date=2014-02-02 }} September 30, 2011New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths PINCUS, THEODORE" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115194517weblink |date=2016-11-15 }} October 4, 2011 His father was a business columnist and public relations adviser to CEOs and politiciansChicago Sun-Times: "Mark Pincus creates an empire with games designed for Facebook" By Sandra Guy {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122204121weblink |date=2012-01-22 }} March 27, 2011 and his mother was an artist and architect.Businessweek: "Zynga IPO Tests CEO's 'Fearsome' Negotiating Style" By Douglas MacMillan {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711130403weblink |date=2012-07-11 }} December 12, 2011Pincus attended Francis W. Parker School from kindergarten through 12th grade and graduated in 1984.NEWS,weblink Corner Office Are You CEO of Something?, The New York Times, Jan 30, 2010, February 11, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170325214831weblink">weblink March 25, 2017, live, He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in EconomicsNEWS,weblink Mark Pincus, Forbes, 2018-11-18, en,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120107144807weblink">weblink 2012-01-07, live, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania earned in 1988NEWS,weblink Ol' Mark Pincus Had a Farm…, Grigoriadis, Vanessa, The Hive, 2018-02-11, en,weblink 2019-03-04, live, and an MBA from Harvard Business School,NEWS,weblink BusinessWeek Executive Profile Mark Pincus, BusinessWeek, 23 June 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121002081429weblink">weblink 2 October 2012, dead, where he founded the Communications Club with Sherry Coutu.NEWS,weblink Entrepreneur Profile on Mark Pincus, Entrepreneur Ideas, 15 November 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151222131537weblink">weblink 22 December 2015, live,

Career

Financial services

Before he became an entrepreneur, Pincus worked in venture capital and financial services for six years. After graduating from Wharton, Pincus spent two years working as an analyst in the New Media Group at Lazard Freres & Co.WEB, Mark Pincus,weblink CNBC, 6 November 2018, 11 October 2012,weblink 6 November 2018, live, WEB, GRIGORIADIS, VANESSA, Ol' Mark Pincus Had a Farm,weblink Vanity Fair, 6 November 2018, June 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160602022920weblink">weblink 2 June 2016, live, After that time, he moved to Hong Kong, where he served as a Vice President for Asian Capital Partners for two years.NEWS, Tech World's Willy Wonka, Financial Times, 6 May 2012,weblink 2017-07-08,weblink 2017-10-31, live, NEWS,weblink 8 Things You Didn't Know About The Guy Leading This Week's Huge IPO, Business Insider, 2018-11-06,weblink 2018-11-06, live, He returned to the United States in order to attend Harvard Business School (HBS) where he was a contemporary of Chris Hohn, Guy SpierWEB,weblink Harvard Business School NamesThirteen Entrepreneurs-in-Residence - News - Harvard Business School, www.hbs.edu, 4 October 2011, en-us, 2018-02-18,weblink 2018-02-17, live, and Chris Shumway. He graduated in 1993Harvard Business School NamesThirteen Entrepreneurs-in-Residence – Harvard Business School {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015142215weblink |date=2011-10-15 }}. Hbs.edu (2011-10-04). Retrieved on 2011-11-13. and also spent a summer as an associate for Bain & Co. in 1992.WEB, Mark Pincus Background, Mark Pincus Blog,weblink 2010-07-15, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100611001037weblink">weblink 2010-06-11, After Pincus graduated from Harvard Business School, he took a job as a manager of corporate development at Tele-Communications, Inc., which is now AT&T Cable.NEWS,weblink Profile: Mark Pincus, Farmville's head gardener, Daily Telegraph, 2011-02-14, 2018-11-06, en-GB, 0307-1235,weblink 2018-11-06, live, A year later, he joined Columbia Capital as vice president, where he led investments in new media and software startups in Washington, D.C. for a year.NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus Brings Lessons in Entrepreneurship to Northwestern, 2012-04-20, The Northwestern Business Review, 2018-02-18, WEB,weblink Entrepreneur-ideas.org, www.entrepreneur-ideas.org, 2018-02-18,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151222131537weblink">weblink 2015-12-22, live,

Entrepreneur

Freeloader

In 1995, Pincus founded his first startup, Freeloader, Inc.NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus Brings Lessons in Entrepreneurship to Northwestern, 2012-04-20, The Northwestern Business Review, 2018-11-06, Freeloader was backed by Fred Wilson and Softbank.NEWS,weblink Startup School: Mark Pincus Talks About Becoming A Great CEO, With Tony Robbins' Help, TechCrunch, 2018-11-06, en-US,weblink 2018-11-06, live, The company was acquired seven months after its launch by Individual, Inc., for $38 million.WEB, Mark Pincus, startup2startup,weblink 2010-07-15,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100718151133weblink">weblink 2010-07-18, live, Sean Parker worked as a summer intern at Freeloader when he was 14 years old. He later went on to co-found Napster, and Pincus became Napster's first investor with an investment of $100,000.NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus Used To Be Sean Parker's Boss, TechCrunch, 2018-11-06, en-US,weblink 2018-10-01, live, NEWS,weblink Sean Parker: Agent Of Disruption, Bertoni, Steven, Forbes, 2018-11-06, en,weblink 2018-11-06, live,

Support.com

He then started his second company, Support.com, in August 1997. As Chairman and CEO, Pincus built the company into a leading provider of help desk automation software. The company went public in July 2000 at a $1.5 billion valuation.WEB, Edgar, SUPPORT COM INC S-1 Filing,weblink 2010-07-15,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110604195752weblink">weblink 2011-06-04, live, In 2002, the company changed its name from Support.com to SupportSoft, Inc.AllBusiness March 2002[link]

Tribe.net

In 2003, at age 37, Pincus founded his third startup, Tribe.net, an early social network.WEB, Malik, Om, Cisco's wrong bet on Social Networks,weblink Blog, 3 March 2007, GigaOM, 4 February 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130504144237weblink">weblink 4 May 2013, live, Tribe.net partnered with major local newspapers and was backed by The Washington Post, Knight Ridder Digital, and Mayfield Fund and Guy Spier,. In 2007, Cisco Systems acquired the core technology of Tribe.net to develop a social networking platform for its digital media services group.NEWS, New York Times,weblink Social Networking's Next Phase, March 3, 2007, Brad, Stone, February 11, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180216213956weblink">weblink February 16, 2018, live, In 2003, Pincus and Reid Hoffman purchased the Six Degrees patent, a broad, sweeping patent that describes a social network service that is the heart of social networks from the extinct Sixdegrees.com company for $700,000.BOOK, The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World, Kirkpatrick, David, 2010, Simon & Schuster, 978-1-4391-0211-4, NEWS,weblink TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA: PATENTS; Idea for Online Networking Brings Two Entrepreneurs Together, Riordan, Teresa, 2003-12-01, The New York Times, 2018-02-18, en-US, 0362-4331,weblink 2010-11-02, live, Pincus and Hoffman stated at the time that their objective in buying the patent was to protect innovation in social networking and to prevent large companies from interfering with this. Pincus and Hoffman have never enforced the patent.NEWS,weblink 2003: Start-up LinkedIn scoops up online social networking patent, 2014-08-27, The Mercury News, 2018-11-13, en-US,weblink 2018-11-13, live,

Investing

Pincus was a founding investor in Napster, Facebook, Friendster, Snapchat, Xiaomi and Twitter.WEB, Zynga's Mark Pincus Talks About His Management Style, Acquisitions and Mobile,weblink Video, All Things D, 4 February 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130605111024weblink">weblink 5 June 2013, live, NEWS, Rivlin, Gary, Friendster, Love and Money,weblink Technology, 24 January 2005, The New York Times, 4 February 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130120192706weblink">weblink 20 January 2013, live, He was also an early investor in JD.com,NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus - Slush 2018, Slush 2018, 2018-11-13, en-US,weblink 2018-11-13, live, Brightmail (later acquired by Symantec for $400m),NEWS,weblink Zynga Founder and CEO Mark Pincus, Thomas White International, 2018-11-13, en-US,weblink 2018-11-13, live, and Buddy Media (acquired by Salesforce for $800m).NEWS,weblink Buddy Media Raises $6.5 Million & Launches Ad Network, 2018-11-13, en-US,weblink 2018-11-13, live, In 2015, Pincus invested in the nootropics company HVMN (formerly Nootrobox),{{citation |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nootrobox-nootropics-startup-raises-seed-round-of-funding-2015-10 |title=Marissa Mayer and Mark Pincus invested in a startup that makes 'brain drugs' and chewable coffee |date=October 13, 2015 |work=Business Insider |access-date=October 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019115046weblink |archive-date=October 19, 2015 |url-status=live }}NEWS,weblink Start-up makes millions selling 'brain hacking' pills, but its own study found coffee works better, Farr, Christina, 2017-11-30, CNBC, 2018-02-22,weblink 2018-01-22, live, NEWS,weblink Marissa Mayer and Mark Pincus invested in a startup that makes 'brain drugs' and chewable coffee, Business Insider, 2018-02-22,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180306192656weblink">weblink 2018-03-06, live, man-made diamond company Diamond Foundry,NEWS,weblink What it's like to grow 100,000 carats of real diamonds in a lab, Roy, Aditi, 2017-10-01, CNBC, 2018-02-22,weblink 2018-02-22, live, and in 2014 automated investment service firm Wealthfront.NEWS,weblink Wealthfront raises $70 million Series D — Red Herring, 2014-10-28, Red Herring, 2018-02-22, en-US,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180222165420weblink">weblink 2018-02-22, live,

Zynga

In July 2007 Pincus founded his fourth company, Zynga Inc.WEB,weblink Harvard Business School NamesThirteen Entrepreneurs-in-Residence - News - Harvard Business School, www.hbs.edu, 4 October 2011, en-us, 2018-02-22,weblink 2018-02-24, live, WEB,weblink Zynga Founder Pincus: I'm Bored With Games, Mitnick, Joshua, 2013-10-02, WSJ, en-US, 2018-02-22,weblink 2018-02-22, live, NEWS,weblink Timeline: How Zynga became a $9 billion company, 19 December 2011, Reuters, 2018-02-22,weblink 1 December 2017, live, NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus, Forbes, 2018-02-22, en,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120107144807weblink">weblink 2012-01-07, live, Zynga developed games on top of social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, and Bebo.In 2011, Pincus took the company public with a $1 billion IPO.NEWS,weblink Zynga's IPO Will Make Mark Pincus Silicon Valley's Next Billionaire, Rivlin, Gary, 2011-12-14, The Daily Beast, 2018-02-26, en, Pincus served as CEO of the company from 2007 to 2013.WEB,weblink Entrepreneur-ideas.org, www.entrepreneur-ideas.org, 2018-02-26,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151222131537weblink">weblink 2015-12-22, live, On July 1, 2013, Zynga recruited Don Mattrick, the former president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, was to succeed Pincus as CEO.WEB,weblink Confirmed: Xbox One boss Don Mattrick 'resigns', Nayak, Malathi, 1 July 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130704040641weblink">weblink 4 July 2013, live, Pincus remained actively involved in the company as Chairman of the Board and Chief Product Officer,WEB,weblink Zynga founder returns to helm as CEO suddenly exits, Hoge, Patrick, 8 April 2015, San Francisco Business Times,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170312062433weblink">weblink 12 March 2017, live, 2018-11-13, but stepped down from his role as chief product officer to focus on his role as chairman of the board, the company announced in April 2014.Pincus returned to the role of CEO of Zynga in April 2015.WEB,weblink Zynga CEO Don Mattrick to Depart; Founder and Chairman Mark Pincus to Return to Chief Executive Officer Role to Lead Zynga into Next Chapter (NASDAQ:ZNGA), 2015-04-08,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150410005755weblink">weblink 2015-04-10, dead, On March 7, 2016, Pincus stepped down as CEO, but continued his association with Zynga as Executive Chairman of the Board with Frank Gibeau in the role of CEO.WEB,weblink CEO Update, 1 March 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304004118weblink">weblink 4 March 2016, dead, In 2018, citing his confidence in Zynga's management, Pincus voluntarily reduced his voting rights in the company from 70% to 10% and stepped back to a non-executive chairman role.WEB, VentureBeat: Zynga founder Mark Pincus reduces voting power after changing stock, 2 May 2018,weblink 2018-12-06,weblink 2018-12-06, live, WEB, Business Insider: Zynga founder Mark Pincus is giving up his 70% voting control of the company, Business Insider,weblink 2018-12-06,weblink 2018-12-06, live, NEWS, SF Chronicle: Zynga founder Mark Pincus stepping back from game maker again, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 May 2018,weblink live,weblink 2018-12-06, 2018-12-06, Evangelista, By Benny,

Start-ups

In 2014 Pincus started Superlabs, an incubator to develop products. Zynga acquired Superlabs in 2015.MAGAZINE,weblink Zynga Founder Launches New Startup Incubator, WIRED, 2018-03-13, en-US,weblink 2018-03-13, live, NEWS,weblink Zynga Acquires Mark Pincus's Incubator, Superlabs, Recode, 2018-03-13,weblink 2018-02-05, live, In 2017, Pincus, alongside Reid Hoffman and Adam Werbach, launched Win the Future, a movement within the Democratic Party.NEWS,weblink Mark Pincus and Reid Hoffman are launching a new group to rethink the Democratic Party, Recode, 2018-03-13,weblink 2018-03-13, live, NEWS,weblink 2 Silicon Valley billionaires want to reinvent the Democratic Party with a new project called 'WTF', Business Insider, 2018-03-13,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180319111006weblink">weblink 2018-03-19, live,

Reinvent Capital and SPACs

In 2018, with Reid Hoffman and Michael Thompson, Pincus co-founded Reinvent Capital, an investment firm that invests in internet, software, and media companies.WEB, 22 January 2019, Zynga founder is raising $700 million for new investment fund,weblink Primack, Dan, 13 October 2023, www.axios.com, en, Reinvent Capital has made investments in Zipline, goPuff,WEB, 2021-03-23, goPuff Raises $1.15B, Solidifying Its Market-Leading Position in the Instant Needs Category,weblink 2021-08-05, www.businesswire.com, en, Dataminr,WEB, Dataminr raises $475M on a $4.1B valuation for real-time insights based on 100k sources of public data,weblink 2021-08-05, TechCrunch, 23 March 2021, en-US, Nimble Robotics,WEB, Nimble Robotics scores $50M for its fulfillment automation tech,weblink 2021-08-05, TechCrunch, 11 March 2021, en-US, Oscar Health,WEB, Reed, Tina, Oscar Health closes $140M funding round led by Tiger Global,weblink 17 December 2020, 13 October 2023, www.fiercehealthcare.com, en, Lyft,WEB, Mark Pincus,weblink 2021-08-05, Forbes, en, all.Health, Convoy,WEB, 2018-09-21, Convoy Raises $185 Million Led by CapitalG to Reinvent the $800B Trucking Industry,weblink 2021-08-05, www.businesswire.com, en, SpaceX, and Aurora Innovation.WEB, O'Kane, Sean, 2021-07-15, Self-driving startup Aurora will raise $2 billion in SPAC merger,weblink 2021-08-05, The Verge, en, In September 2020, Reinvent launched Reinvent Technology Partners (RTP), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) which raised $690 million in its IPO.WEB, Schubarth, Cromwell, 31 August 2020, LinkedIn, Zynga founders Reid Hoffman, Mark Pincus team up on $690M 'blank check' IPO,weblink 2021-08-05, www.bizjournals.com, WEB, Report: Zynga founder Mark Pincus is raising up to $700 million for an investment fund,weblink 2021-08-05, TechCrunch, 22 January 2019, en-US, NEWS, 2020-09-18, A New Spin on SPACs, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2021-08-05, 0362-4331, In February 2021, RTP announced a merger with electronic vertical take-off and landing aircraft pioneer Joby Aviation, valuing the company at $5 billion.NEWS, Kellaher, Colin, 2021-02-24, Air-Taxi Startup Joby Will Combine With SPAC Reinvent Technology, en-US, Wall Street Journal,weblink 2021-08-05, 0099-9660, Other investors included Uber Technologies, The Baupost Group, BlackRock, Fidelity Management & Research, and Baillie Gifford.WEB, GmbH, finanzen net, SPAC Reinvent Technology Partners surges after merger deal to list Joby Aviation on NYSE,weblink 2021-08-05, markets.businessinsider.com, en, In November 2020, the group launched its second SPAC, Reinvent Technology Partners Z, which raised $230 million in its IPO.WEB, 2 November 2020, Tech entrepreneurs' SPAC Reinvent Technology Partners Z files for a $200 million IPO,weblink In March 2021, RTPZ announced a merger with insurance technology company Hippo Insurance.WEB, 2021-03-04, Hippo to Go Public in Merger with Reinvent Technology Partners Z; Company is Transforming the Home Insurance Industry,weblink 2021-08-05, www.businesswire.com, en, Hippo provides home insurance in the United States, and uses artificial intelligence and big data to aggregate and analyze property information.WEB, 4 March 2021, Hippo to Go Public in Merger with Reinvent Technology Partners Z; Company is Transforming the Home Insurance Industry,weblink 2021-08-05, www.bloomberg.com, WEB, Hippo strikes deal with SPAC led by Reid Hoffman, Mark Pincus {{!, PitchBook|url=https://pitchbook.com/newsletter/hippo-strikes-deal-with-spac-led-by-reid-hoffman-mark-pincus|access-date=2021-08-05|website=pitchbook.com|language=en}}WEB, Beltran, Luisa, Insurance Technology Firm Hippo to Merge With SPAC in $5B Deal,weblink 2021-08-05, www.barrons.com, en-US, In February 2021, Pincus and Reinvent partners announced its third SPAC, Reinvent Technology Partners Y, raising $977.5 million in its IPO.WEB, 2021-03-15, Reinvent Technology Partners Y Announces Pricing of $850 Million Initial Public Offering,weblink 2021-08-05, www.businesswire.com, en, In July 2021, RTPY announced a plan to merge with Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation, which is developing Level 4 self-driving technology for trucks and passenger vehicles.WEB, McGee, Patrick, 15 July 2021, Driverless vehicle start-up Aurora to go public in $11bn Spac merger,weblinkweblink 2022-12-10, subscription, live, 2021-08-05, www.ft.com,

Philanthropy and community service

Presidio Trust

Pincus is a former memberWEB, Gilson, Dave, Trump put a right-wing radio host in charge of a national park. Emails show the chaos that ensued.,weblink 2021-04-26, Mother Jones, en-US, of the board of the Presidio Trust, a federal agency that operates and maintains the Presidio as part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area.NEWS,weblink U.S. Department of the Interior Appoints Todd Willens to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, 2018-02-11, en,weblink 2018-02-11, live, He was appointed to the board by President Obama in 2017.NEWS,weblink Board and Executive Team, Presidio, 2018-02-11, en,weblink 2018-02-11, live,

Zynga.org

In October 2009, Pincus started Zynga.org, which is "committed to transforming the world through virtual social goods."Web 2 Summit {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717174308weblink |date=2010-07-17 }}. Web 2 Summit. Retrieved on 2011-11-13. Zynga.org has since raised more than $20 millionWEB,weblink Zynga.org – A Digital Giving Year in Review, Blog, Zynga,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130211020754weblink">weblink 11 February 2013, dead, 4 February 2013, for more than 50 international nonprofitsNEWS,weblink Will Zynga's New Strategy Win Back Mobile Gamers?, Investopedia, 2015-06-09, Investopedia, 2018-02-11, en-US,weblink 2018-02-11, live, WEB,weblink Zynga CEO Don Mattrick to Depart; Founder and Chairman Mark Pincus to Return to Chief Executive Officer Role to Lead Zynga Into Next Chapter {{!, Zynga Inc.|website=Zynga Inc.|language=en|access-date=2018-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211131703weblink|archive-date=2018-02-11|url-status=live}} by occasionally selling virtual goods for charitable causes.Zynga Will No Longer Take A Cut Of Charitable Donations {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211131454weblink |date=2018-02-11 }}. Techcrunch.com (2010-11-16). Retrieved on July 9, 2011. During his time at Zynga Pincus created features for several gaming sites that allowed players to donate to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA); two organizations in Haiti, FATEM and Fonkoze, raising $427,000 in less than three weeks in October 2009. In January 2010 Zynga.org had raised $1.5 million in five days for Haiti Earthquake relief. The money was distributed within just two days.WEB, Chong, Rachael, 2013-09-03, How Mark Pincus Is Turning Gaming Addiction To Social Good,weblink 2020-12-20, Fast Company, en-US, The total Zynga.org raised during 2010 for earthquake relief in Haiti was $3 million. In 2011 they raised an additional $2 million for rescue efforts in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.WEB, Yeung, Ken, 2013-07-23, Zynga's Philanthropic Arm Champions Charities And Non-Profit Projects,weblink 2020-12-20, The Next Web, en-us, On March 11, 2011, Zynga announced that 100 percent of the proceeds from the purchase of virtual goods from more than seven of its games would go toward Japan's Save the Children Earthquake Emergency Fund.Zynga Enables Donations To Tsunami Relief Through In-Game Purchases {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707230519weblink |date=2017-07-07 }}. TechCrunch (2011-03-11). Retrieved on September 23, 2011.Save the Children and Zynga Team Up to Help Japan Disaster Relief Efforts {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103022335weblink |date=2011-11-03 }}. Save The Children (2011-03-12). Retrieved on September 23, 2011. During the 2012 holiday season, Zynga.org partnered with Toys for Tots in its largest charitable campaign not related to disaster relief. The campaign raised $745,000, with 100 percent of the purchase price of certain virtual goods going to Toys for Tots.In 2014, Zynga raised $1 million for Water.org, a Kansas City, Missouri-based charity that funds clean water projects in developing countries.MAGAZINE, Surprise! Your FarmVille Games Have Helped Raise Millions for Charity, en-us, Wired,weblink 2020-12-20, 1059-1028,

Zynga match

Zynga announced in June 2020 that they created a $25 million fund to invest in charitable causes and educational organizations that promote diversity and inclusion.NEWS, 2020-06-17, Zynga creates $25 million fund for promoting diversity education and charities, en-GB, Business Telegraph,weblink 2021-01-19, 0307-1235, WEB, 2020-06-17, Zynga creates $25 million fund for promoting diversity education and charities,weblink 2021-01-19, VentureBeat, en-US,

Oakland Undivided Campaign

In May 2020, Pincus donated $700,000 to the Oakland Unified School District and City of Oakland to help meet their $12.5 million goal towards eliminating the prevalent digital gap that exists in Oakland.WEB, 2020-06-22, Finally! Thousands of Oakland Youth Will Have Computer Access,weblink 2021-01-19, YR Media, en, WEB, 2020-05-20, Fundraising Goal Reached To Supply All Ousd Students With Computers, Internet,weblink 2021-01-19, SFGATE, en-US, WEB, 2020-07-29, 25K laptops headed to Oakland students by late August, after school starts: OUSD,weblink 2021-01-19, KTVU FOX 2, en-US,

Roden Crater Project

In February 2020, Pincus donated $3 million to Roden Crater, a large scale Land artwork by James Turrell within a dormant volcano in the Painted Desert region of Northern Arizona. The contributions bring the project closer to completion which the artist hopes to open within the next five years.WEB,weblink Online Gaming Company Founder Gifts $3 Million to James Turrell's Roden Crater Project, www.artforum.com, 17 February 2020, en-US, 2020-03-12,

Bolinas COVID-19 testing

In April 2020, Pincus, Finnish entrepreneur Jyri Engeström and biotech executive Cyrus Harmon, organized and financed community-wide COVID-19 testing in their hometown of Bolinas, California.  It was one of the first cases of community-wide testing in the US.WEB, Canales, Katie, A California town can test all of its residents for COVID-19 thanks in part to a venture capitalist, a biotech entrepreneur, and $100,000 from Zynga founder Mark Pincus,weblink 2021-01-26, Business Insider, Through their efforts Bolinas was able to test every one of its 1,600 residents for COVID-19 for free. Pincus donated the first $100,000 for the initiative, since it was not covered by government funds.WEB, Dolan, Maura, 2020-05-03, How a reclusive 'town of aging hippies' worked to screen itself from coronavirus,weblink 2021-01-26, Los Angeles Times, en-US,

Canal Alliance

Pincus donated over $100,000 to Canal Alliance in June 2020. Canal Alliance works to provide relief from COVID-19 to families in need.WEB, Leadership Giving Circle,weblink 2020-12-16, Canal Alliance, en,

Political views

In 2020, Pincus, along with many other Silicon Valley tech billionaires, gave the legal maximum dollar amount to support Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.WEB, Schleifer, Theodore, 2020-07-16, Silicon Valley pours money into Biden's campaign — and snubs Trump's,weblink 2021-02-04, Vox, en, Pincus is a longtime supporter of Kamala Harris, and co-hosted a fundraiser for her campaign in 2016.NEWS, Needleman, Sarah E., 2020-08-12, Silicon Valley Sees Kamala Harris as One of Its Own, en-US, Wall Street Journal,weblink 2021-02-04, 0099-9660,

Personal life

In 2008, Pincus married Alison Gelb, who founded One Kings Lane, a furniture and home accessories sales website that was sold to Bed Bath & Beyond in 2016. They have three children, twin girls and a boy, and live in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.WEB, Mark Pincus,weblink 2024-02-13, Forbes, en, Pincus is a practicing bisexual. In March 2017, the couple divorced.WEB, Billion-dollar divorce hits silicon valley as Zynga founder’s wife threatens to rip up pre-nup – Liverpool divorce lawyer Tracey Miller Family Law explores the story :: Tracey Miller Family Law,weblink 2024-02-13, www.traceymillerfamilylaw.co.uk, Pincus spends his time away from work with his daughters, cycling,WEB, ORTUTAY, BARBARA, CEO Interview: Zynga's Mark Pincus, unleashed,weblink The San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 February 2018, 26 June 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180215143957weblink">weblink 15 February 2018, live, surfing, playing soccerWEB, In conversation with Mark Pincus, CEO Zynga,weblink Gadgets 360, 15 February 2018, 27 June 2012,weblink 16 February 2018, live, and doing yoga.WEB, GRIGORIADIS, VANESSA, OL' MARK PINCUS HAD A FARM…,weblink Vanity Fair, 15 February 2018, June 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160602022920weblink">weblink 2 June 2016, live, He joined The Giving Pledge in 2022, committing to donating most of his wealth.Why have only 5 billionaires signed up for the Giving Pledge this year? South China Morning Post October 30, 2022.

References

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External links

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• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060131122353weblink">Mark Pincus Blog
• Zynga Corporate Site
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101203204207weblink">Zynga.org Site