Why billionaire investor Chris Sacca is retiring at age 41

Chris Sacca: Twitter is 'a series of missed opportunities'
Chris Sacca: Twitter is 'a series of missed opportunities'

The cowboy is retiring.

Chris Sacca, an investor known for his early bets on Uber and Twitter (TWTR) -- and his penchant for cowboy shirts -- announced Wednesday that he is going to stop investing in startups.

In a blog post, the billionaire investor also said he would stop appearing on Shark Tank, which he has been a part of for the past two seasons.

"I've been trying to tiptoe into this phase for years," he told CNNTech in an email. "But it became obvious about a year ago that it would only work if I truly left the business."

Sacca, 41, said it was impossible to give his investments the time and energy they needed -- and also try different things.

In the post titled "Hanging up my Spurs," Sacca said his second act would include a foray into entertainment. He plans to launch a podcast -- although he was tight-lipped on any details -- and play himself in a pilot about startups that's being developed by Zach Braff.

"TV stuff can be a hoot and I learn so much by interacting with audiences outside of my bubble," he wrote. "Even the quirkiest opportunities, like my upcoming appearance on Celebrity Family Feud, have taught me something and brought me a lot of laughs."

He told CNNTech that he wants to set an example for young people interested in STEM and entrepreneurship and wants to take on projects that allow him to pay his success forward.

"Kids these days are obsessed with the realm of entrepreneurship," he said. "Anything I can do to break down barriers and hopefully inspire kids along the way feels very rewarding to me."

He's known for being politically outspoken -- especially on Twitter -- against what he called the "oppressive zealots in the White House." He told CNNTech he was interested in supporting "groups that have taken up the mantle of resistance."

"Without any 'permission' nor much funding, they have nevertheless embarked on everything from voter registration to issue advocacy to recruiting the next generation of candidates," he said. "I've been trying to help along the way with some seed capital, but even more importantly ... on building, organizing, strategy, and even understanding the media and new media landscapes."

When asked whether he was nervous to hang up the cowboy hat that brought him fame and fortune, Sacca said no.

"Not at all nervous," he said. "In fact, I was starting to feel sad about letting my 20-year-old self down."

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