Meet the Silicon Valley billionaires, corporate CEOS, and founders backing Kamala Harris

Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla — Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman, and Vinod Khosla are among the dozens of Silicon Valley leaders backing Kamala Harris.
Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images, Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Taylor Hill/Getty Images

More than 800 powerful venture capitalists organized to pledge support for Kamala Harris.
Current and former CEOs separately worked together to sign a letter endorsing Harris.
Here are the biggest signatories and their history with the historic election cycle.

Vice President Kamala Harris hasn't had any trouble raising money — in fact, she has raked in $1 billion between July and September. In just the month of September, her campaign and its allies raised $378 million, more than double the Trump campaign and its affiliates' roughly $160 million haul.

Though some of her money comes from grassroots donors, billionaires and private sector leaders have dumped eye-popping sums into her campaign. A Forbes analysis found that 82 billionaires have backed Harris, compared to 52 backing Trump.

Venture capitalists were among some of the earliest tech moguls to organize behind Harris, even as the once decidedly liberal Silicon Valley splinters this election. As figures like Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and David Sacks publicly backed former President Donald Trump, a group of powerful venture capitalists combined forces to declare their support for Harris through an effort dubbed "VCsForKamala."

As of the end of October, 866 venture capitalists pledged to vote and solicit donations for Harris through the group's website. As of late August, the signatories represented a combined $276 billion in assets under management, according to the group's founders.

"We are pro-business, pro-American dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technological progress," reads a statement on the VCsForKamala's website. "We also believe in democracy as the backbone of our nation."

A Business Insider analysis of the limited publicly available FEC data shows that VCs favored Democrats. Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, donated $47 million to various groups backing crypto-friendly candidates this election cycle.

Harris, who was born in Oakland, has garnered support from dozens of leaders in her backyard supportive of her pro-business policies. In September, the effort by business and tech leaders stretched from coast to coast. A group of 88 prominent Wall Street and tech executives jointly signed a letter endorsing Harris, writing that she is "the best way to support continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy." The leaders also celebrated her support for small businesses.

In October, private sector titans banned together to launch "Business Leaders for Harris," an effort to woo more conservative-leaning voters by emphasizing Harris' economic strengths.

Here are some of the biggest names on the VCsForKamala list and other leading corporate leaders backing Harris.

Mark Cuban

The billionaire, Shark Tank star, and former principal owner of the Dallas Mavericks is one of the most well-known signatories of both VCsForKamala and the corporate letter. Valued at $5.4 billion according to Forbes, Cuban voted for Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP primaries but later attended a Biden fundraiser, ABC News reported. He's become one of the Harris campaigns most active private sector surrogates and is part of "Business Leaders for Harris."

He vowed to support Biden after his disastrous debate performance but said hewas interested in whether other Democrats were better positioned to beat Trump. He was one of the quickest to react when Biden dropped his reelection bid, writing on X, "Father time is undefeated."

Cuban has retweeted various posts about Harris' campaign, including one saying that Democrats had "some well-needed momentum." He anticipates that she will be more open to business, artificial intelligence, and crypto, Politico reported.

Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman, a LinkedIn cofounder and longtime Democratic donor, wasted no time throwing his weight behind Harris, offering his support for her campaign the same day that Biden ended his. Of the president, he said that dropping out was "one of the most selfless acts we've seen from a politician in modern American history."

In January, Hoffman poured $2 million into a super PAC that led a write-in campaign in New Hampshire for Biden's campaign. The Information first reported that Hoffman pushed Reed Hastings, Netflix chairman, to donate $7 million to a PAC supporting Harris.

He has openly sparred with business and tech leaders, namely David Sacks, who support Trump. He plans to host a fundraiser for Harris and has signed both the VCsForKamala and letter of executives. He is also involved in "Business Leaders for Harris" and hosts the initiative's podcast.

Bill Gates

The New York Times reported that Bill Gates said he gave about $50 million to the pro-Harris super-PAC nonprofit arm of Future Forward. Gates did not confirm or deny the donation, though the Times reported that Gates discussed the donation with figures including former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Gates has chosen in the past not to make large political donations, though he has spoken in support of Harris.

Michael Bloomberg

Mike Bloomberg — Michael Bloomberg.
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $50 million to Future Forward USA Action, a nonprofit backing Harris, The New York Times reported. Those familiar with Bloomberg's decision said the donation occurred after months of pressure from leading Harris supporters, including Hoffman and Gates.

Bloomberg donated about $95 million to help Democrats take control of Congress in 2018. In total, he gave over $250 million in the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. Bloomberg has had a history of donating late to campaigns.

James Murdoch

The former CEO of 21st Century Fox broke even farther away from his father, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and added his name to the list of CEOs endorsing Harris. It was the first time he publicly declared his support for the vice president.

Murdoch is far more politically moderate than his dad and his older brother, Lachlan. He has donated hundreds of thousands to Democratic congressional candidates, according the Federal Election Commission records. James Murdoch is currently locked in a real-life succession battle over the future over his family's media empire, which includes Fox News and the Wall Street Journal.

Reed Hastings

The Netflix co-founder is also part of "Business Leaders for Harris" — in his video testimonial for the group, Hastings said he's gotten to know Harris over the past decade and knows "she will be a great president for business." Hastings says in the video that he anticipates her administration will be better for the business world than Biden's has been.

His support goes beyond rhetoric. The longtime Democratic donor endorsed Harris on X on July 22 and the next day told The Information that he'd donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting her campaign. It is his largest single campaign contribution to a single candidate to date.

Vinod Khosla

The OpenAI investor and founder of Sun Microsystems was quick to back Harris after an initial post on X in support of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Khosla, who endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, hosted a fundraiser for Biden in May and has donated to various Democratic candidates and super PACs. His name is among the hundreds on the VCsForKamala list.

Khosla has said on X he would not support a candidate who denies the outcomes of elections, is in favor climate policy and regulations on emissions, and supports growth-oriented economic policy.

He has been outspoken about his views contrary to other leading tech executives.

Khosla engaged in a heated exchange with Elon Musk on X the day Biden ended his 2024 campaign in which he said there was "no reason to accept depravity in his personal values."

"Hard for me to support someone with no values, lies, cheats, rapes, demeans women, hates immigrants like me," Khosla replied to Musk on X.

Jamie Dimon

Jamie Dimon.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, supports Harris in private but hasn't publicly pledged his backing, The New York Times reported. Sources close to Dimon said he has not shared his stance publicly for fear of retaliation by those who support Trump. Some sources told the Times that Dimon may consider a role in Harris' administration.

Trump falsely said that Dimon had backed his campaign, and Dimon has not endorsed a candidate. Dimon argued in a Washington Post op-ed for supporting a president "who explains our problems, encourages input from all sides, and shares plans and solutions."

Ron Conway

The venture capitalist who runs the venture firm SV Angel is a longtime Kamala Harris donor who has contributed to liberal PACs and campaigns for local Democratic leaders. Conway is known for his philanthropic contributions to the UCSF Medical Center and Children's Hospital and other organizations protecting firearm safety, rights for trans youth, and immigration reform. He's added his name to VCsForKamala and the letter of executives.

"She is thoughtful and collaborative, able to bring people together to solve difficult problems and accomplish critical goals," Conway wrote about Harris on X. "She is also a fighter — for justice, fairness, and prosperity. She has proven all of that throughout her career and as vice president, and she will prove it again as the democratic nominee and as the 47th President of the United States."

Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg, former COO at Meta, endorsed Harris in July and has donated at least $1 million toward groups supporting Harris, Forbes reported. Sandberg called Harris "an accomplished leader, a fierce advocate of abortion rights, and the strongest candidate to lead our country forward."

Sandberg, who founded the nonprofit Lean In to support women in the workplace, said she supports Harris because of her defense of women's rights.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

The NBA Hall of Famer and billionaire businessman joined the corporate executives endorsing Harris. He celebrated the effort in a post on X, writing, "I'm proud to be a part of this elite group of leaders supporting VP Harris!!"

Johnson has posted about Harris before — after her interview with CNN, he said that she was "outstanding" and "clearly explained why she changed viewpoints on a couple of issues which shows her humility, growth, and willingness to be open." He has given money to Democrats in the past, including Obama.

Katie Stanton

A founder of and general partner at venture capital firm Moxxie Ventures, Stanton has graced Forbes' list of the most powerful women in technology. She was formerly Twitter's vice president of international strategy and is a part of the VCsForKamala effort.

When Biden dropped out, she called him a "hero" on X and listed many candidates who could replace him, with Harris as the first name on her list. She quickly expressed her support for Harris on the platform, reposting a video of her and saying that she is "fired up and ready to vote."

Shortly after Biden dropped out, Stanton told the New York Times that most of Silicon Valley does not support Trump, despite Elon Musk and others' endorsements for the former president.

"You have people with the loudest voices claiming to speak for the broader community, and the views don't match," she said. "By no means do they line up with the thousands of founders and employees and investors who live and work in Silicon Valley."

Steve Wozniak

Stephen Wozniak smiling in a black quarter-zip — Steve Wozniak.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

A co-founder of Apple, Stephen Wozniak, often referred to simply as "The Woz," added his list to the name of venture capitalist signatories. Though he's been relatively quiet online about this year's election, Wozniak told Time in 2016 that Trump is "a very rude person" and made him cry aloud.

"The Republicans to me just don't match my own personal ethics," he said. "If I do vote, it'll probably be for Bernie Sanders."

Wozniak is a major philanthropist to educational causes according to his website, with a particular focus on increasing computer capabilities in schools.

Chris Sacca

The venture investor behind the VC firm Lowercase Capital has long opposed Donald Trump and backed Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Sacca donated $150,000 to the ACLU after Trump signed an executive order temporarily restricting the admission of citizens from seven countries. Sacca also worked for Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

Despite saying that he "hates politics" on his website, he noted that he and his partner Clay Dumas have "invested millions of dollars and countless hours helping build organizations and companies that we think have the best shot at giving blue candidates an edge in a game that is rigged against them." He advocated donating to Biden's campaign before he dropped out and has signed onto VCsForKamala.

Barry Diller

Media mogul Barry Diller is among the 88 corporate leaders who endorsed Harris, continuing his pattern of supporting Democrats. The chairman of IAC, Diller is worth an estimated $4.5 billion and has donated to candidates like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Cory Booker, according to OpenSecrets.

In July, Diller said that he and his wife, designer Diane von Furstenberg, were no longer supporting the Biden campaign. Diller had donated $6,600 to the president's reelection campaign in 2023, but was evidently turned off by the disastrous debate.

"Do not discount Kamala Harris," Diller told Deadline when she entered the race. He said that business leaders could be convinced to support her candidacy.

Aileen Lee

The Cowboy Ventures founder, VC angel investor, and VCsForKamala signatory coined the term "unicorn" and cofounded the nonprofit All Raise to advocate for women in venture capital.

Though Lee hasn't written much publicly about her support for Harris, she responded to a conservative activist suing a VC firm supporting Black women owners last year on LinkedIn, writing, "With every opportunity we have - let's vote in folks who are going to create and support more opportunities for economic empowerment and achievement, not spend their energy trying to crush opportunities for deserving, under represented folks."

Deven Parekh

In addition to being the managing director at Insight Partners, a global venture capital and private equity firm, Parekh is a philanthropist and Democratic donor. He was included on the guest list for the White House State Dinner in June 2023, and he was a key fundraising organizer for Democrats during the 2018 midterms, the New York Times reported.

Though Parekh has been relatively quiet online in recent weeks, he did retweet an announcement that Salman Rushdie, an author, had endorsed Harris. He pledged to support Harris through VCsForKamala and the letter of CEOs.

Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz, VC powerhouse and A16z cofounder, previously said he supports Trump's campaign. But in an email to staff in early October, Horowitz said he now plans to donate to Harris.

Horowitz had given money to Trump fewer than three months before sending the unexpected email. He wrote, however, that he and his wife, Felicia, have known Harris for more than a decade and consider her a friend.

"As a result of our friendship, Felicia and I will be making a significant donation to entities to entities who support the Harris Walz campaign," the email said. The tech mogul said he remains unclear on her precise tech policies and did not explicitly endorse her.

Hamilton "Tony" James

Hamilton "Tony" James is the former president, COO, and executive vice chairman of Blackstone, the New York-based asset management firm. With a network of $4.5 billion, he signed the letter of corporate executives endorsing Harris.

In May, James hosted a fundraiser for Biden and the Democratic National Committee at his New York apartment, Bloomberg reported. At a separate fundraiser, James said that "Donald Trump is destroying the fabric of America."

Jesse Draper

A fourth generation venture capitalist, Draper is a founding partner of a Los Angeles-based firm, Halogen Ventures, according to her website. She has also received an Emmy nomination for her television series, The Valley Girl Show. Draper is a gender equality advocate and focuses on empowering women in the workforce, making her support for VCsForKamala in line with her brand.

Draper reposted Harris' statement announcing that she was the presumptive Democrat nominee, as we well as post from VCsForKamala.

Mark Suster

Suster, a VCsForKamala signatory, is a well-known face in the Los Angeles venture capital scene, where he is a partner at the firm Upfront Ventures. He thanked Biden for dropping out in a post on X and has reshared various statements from Harris. In particular, he has posted about her stance on Israel and her condemnation of Hamas.

In his role at Upfront, Suster oversees more than $3 billion in assets and has enmeshed himself in the LA tech world.

Leslie Feinzaig

VCsForKamala may not have launched without Feinzaig, one of the primary organizers. She said that she formed the group partly in response to a cascade of tweets from Silicon Valley leaders supporting Trump and characterized it as a grass-roots effort.

Feinzaig is the managing director of the firm Graham & Walker and the cofounder of Female Founders Alliance, according to her LinkedIn. She celebrated the VCsForKamala launch on Twitter and posted updates throughout Wednesday, noting that by the late afternoon, 400 people had signed their names.

When Biden dropped out, Fainzaig retweeted his letter breaking the news with the caption, "It's done." She announced her support for Harris in a tweet the following day, and the day after posted a screenshot proving that she purchased a now-widespread domain name: vsforkamala.

Chris Larsen

The billionaire crypto executive and Ripple co-founder signed onto the letter endorsing Harris, publicly signaling his support for the vice president for the first time.

"Proud to support the Harris campaign — she's the right leader for our fast-changing world," Larsen told Business Insider in a statement. "And I'm confident that she will reset the misguided Biden policies that were too anti-business and anti-innovation. At the same time, I'm confident she will maintain Biden's strong leadership on our energy transition."

Larsen told Business Insider that he appreciated Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention and hopes that she'll appoint individuals who establish clear crypto guidelines. He also said that he recently donated $1 million in crypto Future Forward, a PAC supporting Harris.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Meet the Silicon Valley billionaires, corporate CEOS, and founders backing Kamala Harris

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