Stephen Winn | $1B+
Get in touch with Stephen Winn | Stephen Winn is the founder and CEO of Mirasol Capital, an investment firm focused on real estate, technology, and entertainment. He is best known for founding RealPage, a leading provider of property management software, which he led as chairman and CEO for over two decades before selling it to Thoma Bravo for $10.2 billion in 2021. An electrical engineer by training with an MBA from Stanford, Winn has consistently operated at the intersection of data and physical assets. His current ventures include Cosm, an immersive technology firm, and the 1,400-acre Mirasol Springs conservation project in Texas, reflecting a career-long commitment to innovation and land stewardship.
Steve Winn (born c. 1946) is an American billionaire entrepreneur and software executive, best known as the founder, former chairman, and chief executive officer of RealPage, Inc., a leading provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for property management in the real estate industry.[1][2]
Winn earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969 and later obtained a Master of Science from Stanford University.[3][1] His early career was spent at his father's accounting software firm, Computer Language Research, where he eventually rose to the position of CEO.[1]
In 1998, Winn founded RealPage by acquiring Rent Roll, Inc., initially focusing on on-premise property management systems before pioneering cloud-based SaaS offerings for multifamily, single-family, commercial, and other rental housing markets.[1][4] Under his leadership, the company expanded globally, serving over 24 million rental units worldwide through tools for leasing, revenue management, resident services, and compliance.[4] RealPage went public on the NASDAQ in 2010 and was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in 2021 for $10.2 billion, marking a significant exit for Winn, who then stepped down as CEO.[1] The company's revenue management software has faced scrutiny and multiple antitrust lawsuits, including a 2024 U.S. Department of Justice suit alleging it enabled landlords to collude on rent prices.[5][6]
As of 2025, Winn's net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion, derived primarily from his RealPage stake and investments in real estate technology.[1] He has received recognition for his entrepreneurial achievements, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Technology category for the Southwest region in 2012.[7] Additionally, Winn is active in philanthropy, notably committing $200 million alongside the University of Texas at Austin to environmental research initiatives addressing climate change and water resources.[8] He resides in Dallas, Texas, and continues to serve as chairman of Mirasol Real Estate Partners, a firm focused on real estate investments.[9]
Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Stephen Winn was born in September 1946 in Dallas, Texas, into a family with entrepreneurial roots in the emerging field of computer software.[10] His father, Francis Winn, founded Computer Language Research Inc. in 1964, a company specializing in accounting and tax compliance software, which provided young Stephen with early exposure to the technology and business worlds.[11][12] Limited public details exist about his mother or extended family, but the Winn household emphasized self-reliance and practical problem-solving, shaping his formative years in the Dallas area.
Growing up in Dallas during the post-World War II economic boom, Winn attended the prestigious St. Mark's School of Texas, an all-boys preparatory school known for its rigorous academics and emphasis on leadership. He graduated in 1964, excelling in subjects that foreshadowed his future career in engineering and technology.[13] Anecdotal accounts from Winn highlight his childhood fascination with business simulations; as a teenager, he and his father played an IBM computer game that modeled company management, allocating resources to marketing and production while reviewing quarterly reports to optimize decisions. This hands-on experience, coupled with his father's pragmatic advice—such as knowing when to abandon unviable pursuits—instilled an entrepreneurial mindset and interest in software applications for real-world problems.[3]
Winn's early environment in Dallas, amid the city's growing tech and real estate sectors, further nurtured his curiosity about applying technology to business challenges, though specific stories of interests in real estate remain scarce in available records. Following his high school graduation, he transitioned to higher education at the University of Texas at Austin.[3]
Academic career and influences
Steve Winn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969.[11][13] This education during the late 1960s, a period of rapid advancement in computing and technology, provided foundational knowledge in engineering principles that shaped his subsequent career in software development.[14] As a student, Winn faced homesickness and financial challenges, supporting himself through odd jobs such as collecting and selling empty Coke bottles, which reinforced the self-reliance emphasized in his family background. While specific mentors are not detailed in available records, his technical training at UT Austin directly led him to early roles in computer research firms, influencing his innovative approach to industry applications.[2][3]
Business career
Early professional roles
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1969 with a degree in electrical engineering, Steve Winn joined Computer Language Research Inc. (CLR), the accounting software firm founded by his father, Francis Winn, in 1964.[11][15]
Winn advanced through various roles at CLR, assuming the position of CEO in 1977, eight years after joining the company.[15] Under his leadership as president and CEO, CLR became a prominent provider of tax compliance, tax research, and accounting software solutions, operating as a publicly traded company based in Carrollton, Texas.[1][16]
During his tenure at CLR, which spanned until 1998, the company pursued growth through acquisitions, including a 1995 purchase of a tax software business from Simon & Schuster Inc. that incidentally included Little Buddy, a specialized lease accounting system for property landlords.[15] This expansion introduced Winn to the real estate sector's software needs, building on his prior experience in developing data management and analytics tools for the accounting industry.[17][1]
Winn's roles at CLR equipped him with deep expertise in business operations, software development for complex data handling, and scaling technology firms in competitive markets.[1][17]
Founding and leadership of RealPage
In 1998, Steve Winn founded RealPage, Inc. in Carrollton, Texas, through the acquisition of Rent Roll, Inc., establishing it as a provider of software solutions for real estate property management, with an initial focus on on-premise systems that would later transition to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.[4][11] The company's early vision centered on digitizing and automating multifamily rental operations to improve efficiency for property managers, drawing from Winn's prior experience in software development at his family's accounting firm.[18][1]
RealPage's initial products included the Rent Roll software for automated rent collection and accounting, alongside tools for leasing and tenant management targeted at conventional and affordable multifamily housing markets.[4][11] These offerings were soon expanded to incorporate tenant screening services to mitigate risk and compliance tools to ensure regulatory adherence, addressing key pain points in property operations during the late 1990s.[1][18]
As founder, CEO, and Chairman, Winn navigated the challenges of entering the nascent SaaS landscape by personally investing in the $10 million acquisition and seeking early private equity partnerships to fuel growth, emphasizing innovation through acquisitions of complementary technologies while retaining significant control.[18][11] His leadership focused on associating with high-performing market players and scaling solutions to meet the evolving needs of the multifamily sector, marking a pivotal entrepreneurial shift from his earlier corporate roles.[18][16]
Expansion and key milestones at RealPage
Under Steve Winn's leadership as CEO, RealPage achieved significant expansion following its initial establishment, transitioning from a U.S.-focused software provider to a global leader in property management technology. The company went public in 2010 through an initial public offering on the NASDAQ, raising approximately $135 million by selling 12.3 million shares at $11 each, which provided capital for further product development and market penetration.[19][20] By 2017, RealPage had reached a market capitalization exceeding $3.6 billion, reflecting robust revenue growth from $468.5 million in 2015 to $671 million in 2017, driven by acquisitions and organic expansion in multifamily housing software.[21][22] A pivotal milestone came in 2021 when private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired RealPage in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $10.2 billion, including net debt; Winn stepped down as CEO shortly thereafter but remained involved initially as chairman.[23][24][1]
RealPage's operational growth under Winn emphasized scaling its client base and technological capabilities, evolving into a provider serving more than 20,000 customers worldwide who manage over 24 million housing units across multifamily, single-family, commercial, and vacation rentals in North America, Europe, and Asia.[25][4] Key innovations included AI-driven analytics for revenue management and predictive maintenance, such as the AI Revenue Management platform that optimizes rental pricing through data insights to reduce vacancies, and AI Facilities Agent tools that automate maintenance workflows, scheduling, and vendor coordination to lower costs and improve efficiency.[26][27] These advancements built on strategic investments in research and development, including cloud computing infrastructure post-IPO, which enhanced scalability and supported the integration of acquired technologies like utility management platforms.[28][29]
Winn's decisions also focused on international expansion, identifying opportunities in global markets beyond the U.S. to broaden RealPage's reach in the multifamily sector.[30] Amid this growth, the company navigated challenges, including scrutiny in 2022 over its YieldStar pricing algorithm, which a ProPublica investigation alleged facilitated coordinated rent increases among landlords by sharing confidential data, prompting antitrust concerns. This led to a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit in 2024, settled in November 2025, requiring RealPage to sunset YieldStar and related products by the end of 2024; several states, including Kentucky in July 2025, have also filed lawsuits as of December 2025. Despite the controversy, RealPage maintained its trajectory, with units under management growing over 50% since 2022 through AI-enhanced front-office solutions.[31][32][33][34][35]
Other ventures and investments
Mirasol Capital and real estate developments
Following his success with RealPage, which was acquired for $10.2 billion in 2021, Steve Winn founded Mirasol Capital in 2019 as an investment firm based in Dallas, Texas.[36][37] The firm specializes in opportunities across real estate, technology, and entertainment, with a particular emphasis on luxury developments that integrate sustainable practices and innovative design to redefine living experiences.[38] Winn, serving as CEO, draws on his extensive background in real estate technology to guide investments that prioritize long-term value through partnerships with visionary operators and eco-conscious strategies.[38]
A cornerstone of Mirasol Capital's real estate portfolio is the Mirasol Springs project, a 1,400-acre conservation-oriented luxury community in the Texas Hill Country near Dripping Springs. Announced in the early 2020s, the development features an Auberge Resorts Collection hotel with about 71 guest rooms, resort cottages, private homesites, restaurants, a farm, and a University of Texas biodiversity research lab, all designed to preserve the natural landscape while promoting wellness and environmental education.[39][40][36]
The project has sparked environmental debates, particularly concerning water usage and impacts on local aquifers and endangered species like the Georgetown salamander in nearby Roy Creek Canyon. Critics, including conservation groups and neighboring landowners, have raised concerns over proposed pipelines and potential strain on the Edwards Aquifer, leading to protests and delays in approvals by the West Travis County Public Utility Agency as of late 2024.[40][36][41] Winn has positioned Mirasol Springs as a model for sustainable Hill Country development, emphasizing eco-sensitive planning and restoration efforts to mitigate ecological risks.[39][42]
Mirasol Capital's broader investment approach in real estate leverages Winn's expertise from RealPage to focus on efficient, technology-enhanced property management within its portfolio, aiming for developments that blend luxury with environmental stewardship.[38][13] This strategy supports selective, high-impact projects that generate superior returns while addressing modern demands for sustainable living.[9]
Co-founding Cosm and entertainment projects
In the early 2020s, Steve Winn co-founded Cosm, an immersive entertainment and technology company aimed at redefining live events through virtual reality and expansive screen technologies. Established in 2020 via acquisitions by Winn's investment firm Mirasol Capital—including firms specializing in planetarium projections, spatial computing, and immersive video production—Cosm fuses these elements to create "shared reality" experiences that blend physical venues with virtual content.[43][44] Winn serves as Cosm's Board Chairman, drawing on his prior technology leadership to guide the venture's development.[45]
A flagship project is the 2024 opening of Cosm Dallas, located in The Colony, Texas, at the Grandscape entertainment district. This venue features a 26.6-meter-diameter LED dome rotated on its side for daytime visibility, enabling 360-degree, hyper-realistic broadcasts of concerts, sports, and other events at 12K resolution and 120 frames per second with minimal latency.[46][43] The facility, designed by Dallas-based architects HKS and spanning 65,000 to 75,000 square feet, accommodates up to 1,700 guests and integrates partnerships with organizations like the NBA and UFC for live content delivery.[46] Earlier prototypes, such as a 2020 test center in Los Angeles and a demonstration dome in Salt Lake City, validated the technology by streaming events like the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, attracting broadcasters and executives who praised its immersive potential.[43][44]
Winn's vision for Cosm emphasizes innovative adaptations of planetarium-style domes, lit with LEDs to enable versatile, all-day use beyond traditional dark-sky settings, thereby expanding entertainment to include sports, arts, science, and education.[46] Rooted in his software and broadcasting expertise from earlier ventures, this approach seeks to inspire audiences—particularly youth—by embedding them in lifelike events without physical travel, with plans for up to 50 global venues by decade's end.[46] In 2024, Cosm secured over $250 million in funding, including from Winn and Mirasol Capital, to accelerate this expansion alongside venues like one near Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium.[47]
Philanthropy and awards
Environmental and educational contributions
In 2023, the Winn Family Foundation, led by Steve Winn, donated $50 million to the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) to establish the Hill Country Field Station in Dripping Springs, Texas, along with supporting a statewide network of ecological research sites. This gift, the largest in UT Austin's history for environmental initiatives, enables long-term monitoring of Texas's natural resources, including biodiversity, water quality, and climate impacts, with an additional $150 million committed from university funds, grants, and other donations to reach a total investment of $200 million.[48][8] The donation includes over 1,000 acres of land provided by the Winn family, creating a "living laboratory" for researchers and students to study sustainability challenges, particularly those affecting Texas water resources amid rapid urbanization and development pressures.[3]
Winn's motivation for the contribution stems from growing concerns over environmental degradation in Texas, including threats to aquifers and ecosystems in the Hill Country region, where population growth exacerbates water scarcity and habitat loss. The field station will facilitate interdisciplinary research on conservation strategies, educating future scientists and policymakers on balancing development with ecological preservation. Through this initiative, Winn has emphasized proactive investment in science to address statewide resource vulnerabilities, aligning his philanthropy with his background in real estate development.[49][50]
Additionally, Winn's Mirasol Real Estate Partners has integrated conservation into its Hill Country projects, such as the 1,400-acre Mirasol Springs development along the Pedernales River, designed as a "conservation-scale" community that preserves more than two-thirds of the land (approximately 1,000 acres) as a conservation easement to remain undeveloped indefinitely. The project incorporates sustainable practices like reclaimed wastewater use, rainwater harvesting, and native landscaping to minimize ecological impacts from residential and resort construction, while supporting adjacent research efforts like the UT field station. These efforts reflect Winn's commitment to mitigating development-related environmental strains in sensitive Texas ecosystems. However, the project has faced criticism from environmental groups and local residents, who argue that it could still harm fragile local springs, the declining Trinity Aquifer, and surrounding habitats despite the conservation measures.[40][39]
Recognitions and honors
Steve Winn has received several notable recognitions for his contributions to technology entrepreneurship and civic leadership. In 2012, he was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Southwest Technology category, honoring his role in founding and scaling RealPage into a leading property management software provider.[7]
In 2024, Winn was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by St. Mark's School of Texas, his alma mater, recognizing his outstanding career achievements and lasting impact on business and community.[13]
Winn's success has also earned him prominent financial recognition; Forbes first listed him as a billionaire in 2017 due to his stake in RealPage, with ongoing inclusions on the publication's annual billionaires list reflecting his sustained wealth from the company's growth and eventual sale.[11][1]
Personal life
Residence and family
Stephen Winn has been a longtime resident of Dallas, Texas, where he maintains his primary home in upscale neighborhoods such as Preston Hollow.[1][51] He also has connections to the Texas Hill Country through real estate development projects, including the proposed Mirasol Springs resort and residential community near Dripping Springs.[52]
Winn is married to Melinda Winn, and the couple has children, though the family maintains a low public profile.[49][14] They occasionally appear together at business and philanthropic events, reflecting a lifestyle centered on privacy while supporting Winn's professional endeavors.[53]
Net worth and philanthropy
Stephen T. Winn became a billionaire in 2017 when RealPage's stock value surged, valuing his stake at approximately $1.1 billion at the time.[15] As of January 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion, primarily derived from his founding and leadership role at RealPage, along with subsequent investments.[1] This figure reflects the company's growth and its $10.2 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo in 2021, in which Winn retained significant equity.[54]
Winn is active in philanthropy, notably through a $200 million partnership with the University of Texas at Austin for environmental research initiatives addressing climate change, water resources, biodiversity, and ecological field stations. This includes a $50 million gift from the Winn Family Foundation.[3][8] He resides in Dallas, Texas, and continues to serve as chairman of Mirasol Real Estate Partners, a firm focused on real estate investments.
Disclaimer: This profile is based on publicly available information. No endorsement or affiliation is implied.
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