内容来源：https://www.geekwire.com/2026/zillow-co-founder-and-seattle-tech-icon-rich-barton-takes-up-residence-in-las-vegas/

内容总结：

西雅图再失一位科技巨头：Zillow联合创始人巴顿正式移居拉斯维加斯

曾深刻改变美国房地产交易模式的西雅图企业家、房产信息平台Zillow联合创始人里奇·巴顿（Rich Barton）近日宣布正式移居“赌城”拉斯维加斯。这一消息标志着西雅图科技与创业生态的又一个重要人物选择离开。

巴顿于20年前在西雅图共同创立了Zillow集团，并至今担任联席执行主席。他在社交媒体上发文确认了这一人生新阶段：“孩子们都已独立，空巢生活达成，我们很兴奋开启新的篇章。”

这位科技界的传奇人物不仅是Zillow的缔造者——该公司目前市值约80亿美元——早在30年前，年仅20多岁的他就在西雅图地区创立了在线旅游巨头亿客行（Expedia Group），并于1999年将其从微软拆分并成功上市。如今，亿客行的市值已高达270亿美元。

巴顿的个人财富多次逼近亿万富翁门槛，一直是华盛顿州科技经济的“独角兽”级标志性人物。他的离开，被当地媒体GeekWire形容为“对本地创业生态的一记重击”。

对于搬离的具体原因，巴顿通过发言人婉拒了进一步评论。但值得注意的是，他的出走并非孤例。

近年来，多位西雅图顶级企业家选择离场。最知名的是亚马逊创始人杰夫·贝索斯，他于2023年11月宣布搬往迈阿密；星巴克前CEO霍华德·舒尔茨随后也在领英上宣布了迁居迈阿密的决定，并在《华尔街日报》发表评论文章，批评西雅图市长凯蒂·威尔逊“污名化雇主”。

尽管三人都将搬迁归于个人原因——巴顿提及空巢，贝索斯归于家庭及蓝色起源在佛罗里达业务的扩大，舒尔茨则是退休计划——但这些动态均发生在华盛顿州税收政策争议不断升级的背景下。

华盛顿州近年来推动了资本利得税的渐进式改革，对超过100万美元的收益征收9.9%的税率。立法者还通过了备受争议的“百万富翁税”，计划于2028年1月起对高收入者开征9.9%的个人所得税，目前该法案正面临法律挑战。

矛盾在近期激化。西雅图市长凯蒂·威尔逊在公开场合对“资本外逃”的警告不以为然。她在今年4月就任仅三个月时表态：“我认为百万富翁会离开我们州的说法太夸张了。如果有人真要走，那就——拜拜。”此言一出，立即引发多位当地创始人及风投人士的强烈不满，认为这反映了政界对企业家及雇主的敌意正在加剧。

中文翻译：

这位曾推动美国人买卖房屋方式变革的人士，如今有了新住所。西雅图企业家里奇·巴顿20年前联合创立了Zillow集团并至今担任联席执行主席，他在X平台上宣布自己正式成为拉斯维加斯居民："孩子们都已独立，空巢生活已实现，我们很期待开启这新篇章。"这一消息标志着西雅图最多产企业家之一的时代落幕。除Zillow外，巴顿30年前还在西雅图地区联合创立了Expedia集团，当时他年近三十，后将该公司从微软剥离并于1999年上市。GeekWire上月发布回顾文章纪念Expedia周年，文中巴顿反思这家在线旅游公司的崛起，称其怀有"宏大抱负"。如今Expedia市值达270亿美元，Zillow市值为80亿美元。通过发言人，巴顿拒绝向GeekWire置评，因此其迁居背后是否另有动机尚不明确。无论如何，失去巴顿这样地位的人物对本地生态是个打击。这位身家多次逼近亿万富翁门槛的企业家，一直是支撑华盛顿州科技经济的顶级白手起家"独角兽"缔造者之一。近年来已有其他知名企业家离开西雅图，最引人注目的是亚马逊创始人杰夫·贝佐斯，他2023年11月在Instagram上宣布迁居迈阿密。星巴克前CEO霍华德·舒尔茨近期也在领英上宣布移居迈阿密，上月更在《华尔街日报》发表尖锐专栏文章，称西雅图市长凯蒂·威尔逊"污名化雇主"。三人均以个人原因为迁居辩护——巴顿归因于空巢生活，贝佐斯提及家庭和蓝色起源在佛罗里达州的业务扩张，舒尔茨则称自己进入退休阶段。然而，这些搬迁恰逢华盛顿州税收争议日益激烈之际。该州立法者扩大了对富裕居民的征税范围，部分商界领袖警告此类政策可能迫使企业家外流。自该州转向累进资本利得税（对超过100万美元的收益征收9.9%税率）后，立法者又批准了一项颇具争议的"百万富翁税"，对高收入者征收9.9%的个人所得税。这项定于2028年1月生效的税种正面临法律挑战。近期西雅图市长凯蒂·威尔逊在公开场合以挥手动作驳斥资本外逃警告，对扬言离开的富裕居民说了声"拜拜"，导致科技界紧张情绪爆发。威尔逊就任仅三个月后于今年4月表示："我认为百万富翁会离开我们州的说法被严重夸大了。如果他们真要走——那就拜拜呗。"这番言论遭到多位当地创始人和风险投资家的尖锐批评，他们认为这反映出政界对雇主和企业家日益增长的敌意。

英文来源：

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.