Slack co-founder Stewart Butterfield and Away co-founder Jen Rubio have sold their sprawling Aspen, Colorado, estate for $30 million, closing a significant real estate deal just weeks after announcing their separation.
The sale was reported by The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, with property records providing details of the transaction. The couple purchased the property in January 2021 for approximately $25 million, making a $5 million gain before expenses despite selling well below their original asking price. The transaction marks another chapter in the high-profile real estate portfolio built by the technology and fashion entrepreneurs during their years together.
Located in Aspen’s exclusive Five Trees neighbourhood, the estate spans nearly five acres and offers sweeping views of Castle Creek Valley. The approximately 10,600-square-foot residence features six bedrooms and expansive spaces designed for entertaining, making it a private mountain retreat as well as a luxury property in one of Colorado’s most sought-after markets.The home was first listed for $45 million in June 2025, before its asking price was reduced to $39.5 million in June 2026, according to property listings on Zillow and Realtor.com.
It went under contract on August 14, shortly after Butterfield and Rubio publicly announced their separation. The sale was completed in October, with a special warranty deed identifying the buyers as David and Erika Sands.The buyers are believed to be former professional poker players David “Doc” Sands and Erika Moutinho Sands, who both made deep runs at the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event. Despite the timing, the sale was not linked to the couple’s separation, according to a spokesperson cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The spokesperson also indicated that neither Butterfield nor Rubio planned to sell additional properties.
Inside the Aspen estate
The property combines substantial indoor living space with the privacy of a five-acre mountain setting. Its amenities include a home theatre, fitness centre, bar, billiards area, wine cellar and tasting room. The estate’s location in Five Trees also offers access to Aspen’s celebrated mountain scenery and luxury residential market.
The $30 million sale comes against the backdrop of Aspen’s increasingly competitive high-end property market, where large estates attract wealthy buyers seeking privacy, expansive land and mountain views.
A portfolio spanning New York to California
The Aspen property was one of several notable homes owned by Butterfield and Rubio. Their real estate holdings have included a Manhattan townhouse purchased for $72.5 million in 2024, a Southampton estate acquired for $32.2 million and a large New Mexico ranch previously owned by fashion designer Tom Ford.
The pair also sold a San Francisco Victorian mansion for $19.15 million in October 2022. Another notable transaction involved their Tribeca townhouse, connected by a distinctive skybridge, which sold for $24 million that year.Butterfield co-founded Slack, the workplace messaging platform that was acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion. He continued as Slack’s chief executive after the acquisition before leaving the role in 2023. Rubio co-founded luggage brand Away in 2015 and continues to serve as its executive chair. Their Aspen sale brings a major property transaction to a close during a period of personal change, while their broader real estate holdings remain a separate part of their business and investment history.