Andrew Mason’s net worth is around $200 million to $230 million as of 2025. The entrepreneur made his fortune by founding Groupon, the daily deals website that changed how people shop online. His wealth peaked at over $1 billion when Groupon went public in 2011, but dropped significantly when the company’s stock price fell. Mason transitioned from CEO to executive chairman at Descript in August 2025, an AI-powered video editing company he co-founded.
Andrew Mason Net Worth in 2025
Most sources put Andrew Mason’s financial standing between $200 million and $230 million.
His wealth comes mainly from his Groupon shares and the money he made selling some of those shares before and after the company went public. The wide range in estimates happens because it’s hard to track private investments and the changing value of his remaining Groupon stock value. Mason still owns 46 million Class A shares in Groupon, which go up and down with the market. His newer company, Descript, has also added to his wealth through funding rounds and growth.
Different websites show different numbers because they use different methods to calculate founder equity. Some only count public stock holdings (a meronym of total assets). Others try to estimate private investments and real estate. The $200 million to $230 million range represents the most common estimates from financial tracking sites. Understanding Mason’s accumulated wealth requires looking at both liquid assets and equity positions across multiple companies.
How Andrew Mason Built His Wealth
Mason’s entrepreneur income started with Groupon, the company he co-founded in 2008.
Before Groupon went public, Mason received $1 million in seed money from investor Eric Lefkofsky to create The Point, a platform for organizing group actions. When The Point struggled, he pivoted to Groupon’s daily deals model. The company’s rapid growth led to a $12.7 billion valuation at its 2011 IPO. Before the IPO, Mason withdrew $30 million from a venture capital funding round, giving him his first major payout.
During his time as CEO, his annual salary was just $180,000, later reduced to $756.72 at his own request. His real wealth came from owning shares, not his salary. These early sales protected some of his wealth before the stock crashed. His approach showed how personal assets can be preserved through strategic timing.
After leaving Groupon, Mason founded Detour in 2015 and Descript in 2017. Descript has grown to $55 million in annual revenue with a 75% year-over-year growth rate, adding value to his overall portfolio. According to reports from The Information in October 2022, OpenAI had agreed to lead funding valuing Descript at around $550 million, more than double its prior valuation.
The Groupon IPO and Billionaire Peak
Mason briefly became a billionaire when Groupon went public in November 2011.
Groupon priced its IPO at $20 per share and raised about $700 million. The stock opened strong on its first trading day. When the share price peaked at $31.14, Mason’s net worth topped $1.4 billion. His 45.9 million shares were suddenly worth more than a billion dollars. This made him one of the youngest billionaires in tech at age 30.
The celebration didn’t last long. Groupon’s stock started falling within months. The company faced accounting questions, slowing growth, and investor concerns. The value of Mason’s shares plummeted from $1.2 billion to $230 million, a drop of nearly $1 billion. This represents the opposite of wealth accumulation, showing how quickly paper fortunes can vanish. His experience illustrates that monetary value tied to stock prices can be volatile.
Why Mason’s Net Worth Dropped After the IPO
The collapse in share price history destroyed most of Mason’s paper wealth.
Groupon experienced accounting irregularities and a significant revenue drop after going public. Investors lost confidence. The business model that looked so promising started showing cracks. Many merchants complained that Groupon deals didn’t bring them repeat customers. The company struggled to grow internationally. Mason faced pressure from the board and shareholders.
Mason was fired as Groupon’s CEO on February 28, 2013, after the company missed sales expectations. His severance pay was just $378.36, based on his low salary and employment agreement. By the time he left, most of his billionaire status was gone. His remaining Groupon shares were worth far less than at the peak.
The startup wealth decline shows how risky it is to keep all your money in one company’s stock. Mason sold some shares early, which was smart. But he still owned millions of shares when the price crashed. This taught him valuable lessons about capital preservation that he’d apply to future ventures.
Mason’s Business Ventures After Groupon
Mason didn’t stop working after leaving Groupon, building a diverse business portfolio.
In February 2015, Mason released Detour, an iPhone app selling audio tours of major cities. The tours cost $5 each and offered unique local stories. Bose acquired Detour in 2018 for its audio technology, planning to use it for augmented reality platforms. This sale added to Mason’s wealth, though the exact amount wasn’t disclosed.
Mason co-founded Descript in 2017, an audio and video editing tool powered by machine learning. Descript lets users edit audio and video by editing text transcripts. The company reached $55 million in annual revenue by 2025. In August 2025, Mason stepped down as CEO and became executive chairman, naming Laura Burkhauser as the new CEO. His role shift suggests the company is maturing and he’s planning for long-term growth.
These ventures show Mason learned from Groupon. He’s building tools that solve real problems for creators. Business valuation for Descript keeps growing as the company adds features and users. Descript has raised a total of $101 million over 4 funding rounds, with backing from prestigious investors including OpenAI, Andreessen Horowitz, and Redpoint Ventures.
What Affects Mason’s Current Net Worth
Several factors shape Mason’s financial history and current wealth, including market-dependent valuations.
First, his remaining Groupon shares still matter. If he hasn’t sold his position, the equity stake could represent significant value. But this assumes he hasn’t liquidated more shares since 2011, which seems unlikely given his diversification strategy.
Second, Descript’s private valuation impacts his net worth substantially. OpenAI agreed to lead funding valuing Descript at around $550 million in 2022, suggesting strong growth potential. Private companies are harder to value than public ones. Mason’s ownership stake in Descript could be worth tens of millions or more, depending on the company’s current valuation. Descript hit $55 million in annual recurring revenue in late 2024, strengthening its position in the competitive AI editing market.
Third, other investments and assets add up. Mason has invested in startups and owns real estate. In 2012, he bought a penthouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood for $3.44 million. These assets contribute to his total net worth but are hard to track publicly. His real estate holdings (a hyponym of property investments) represent a smart hedge against tech volatility.
Common Questions About Mason’s Wealth
Many people wonder if Mason is still connected to Groupon financially, examining the collocations of “stock ownership” and “founder stakes.”
Over the past 18 months, Andrew Mason made no insider transactions in Groupon stock, according to SEC filings. This suggests he either sold his shares years ago or is holding them long-term. Without current ownership data, it’s hard to know exactly how much Groupon stock affects his net worth today.
People also ask how Mason’s wealth compares to other tech founders. He’s not as rich as Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos, but $200 million still puts him in the top tier of successful entrepreneurs. His story shows both the opportunity and risk in tech startups. He made a fortune young, lost most of it when Groupon crashed, and rebuilt through new companies.
The gap between different net worth estimates comes from uncertainty about private holdings. Celebrity net worth sites use public data and estimates. They can’t see private investments, tax situations, or spending patterns. That’s why you’ll see figures ranging from $200 million to $280 million across different sources. The term “net worth” itself carries different connotations depending on whether you count only liquid assets or include illiquid holdings.
Understanding wealth metrics requires distinguishing between paper wealth and actual liquidity. Mason’s experience shows the polysemy of “rich”—being worth a billion on paper differs dramatically from having that cash available.
Key Takeaways About Andrew Mason’s Wealth
Mason’s financial story teaches important lessons about tech entrepreneur net worth and the broader category of entrepreneurial wealth (the hypernym).
First, IPO earnings can disappear fast. Mason went from billionaire to millionaire in less than two years because he kept too much wealth in one stock. Smart founders diversify by selling shares over time.
Second, failure doesn’t end your career. Mason got fired from his own company in a very public way. He wrote a self-deprecating goodbye note to employees saying “I was fired today” and taking responsibility for the company’s problems. Instead of disappearing, he started new companies that are now successful.
Third, building real value matters more than hype. Groupon grew incredibly fast but struggled to keep customers and merchants happy. Descript is growing slower but solving real problems for content creators. This suggests Mason learned to focus on sustainable business models.
Fourth, venture capital payout timing is critical. Mason withdrew $30 million before Groupon went public, which protected some wealth before the crash. Taking some money off the table isn’t greedy—it’s smart risk management. The etymology of “diversification” traces back to making things “diverse” or varied, which perfectly describes this strategy.
Fifth, staying active in tech keeps creating opportunities. Mason didn’t retire after Groupon. He keeps building companies in areas he cares about, like audio technology and AI. This approach has rebuilt his wealth and kept him relevant in the tech world. His journey from Groupon to Descript shows how capital accumulation works across multiple ventures rather than a single company.
