Only a few years ago, Silicon Valley and its prime movers were largely liberal about who emerges during elections, not anymore.
In early August, many business leaders in the tech hub banded together to vote and solicit support for Kamala Harris in the coming presidential elections. Some of these business leaders are household names. Can you guess who they are?
Who Are the Silicon Valley Billionaires, Founders, and Investors?
In the build-up to the November elections, a splinter occurred in Silicon Valley after David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, and Elon Musk publicly declared support for former President Donald Trump.
So, other business leaders in the district got off the fence by launching a campaign website, VCsForKamala.org. The original signatories to this initiative have a combined asset worth of about $150 billion; the wealthiest and most influential among them are highlighted below.
Is Mark Cuban backing Kamala Harris?
Sure. Mark Cuban is, in fact, one of the top voices for the kick-off of the Kamala Harris support initiative. The Shark Tank star is one of the most prolific supporters of the VCsForKamala initiative.
During the 2024 presidential primaries, Cuban supported Nikki Haley to become the GOP flag bearer but subsequently shifted his allegiance to Biden. However, soon after Biden left the race, the billionaire was one of the first to applaud the choice of the new Democratic presidential candidate.
A Co-Founder of LinkedIn Is Also Involved in the Campaign Effort
Reid Hoffman has a long track record of supporting Democratic candidates. So, the Silicon Valley billionaire had no reservations about stretching out a hand of support to the Kamala Harris campaign.
Hoffman has commended the selfless act of President Joe Biden for stepping aside to bring on Harris. The LinkedIn co-founder is obviously not a sideline spectator for the coming elections; he donated about $2 million to Biden’s campaign. In addition, Hoffman impressed Reed Hastings of Netflix by donating $7 million to Harris’ campaign.
An OpenAI Investor and Founder of Another Tech Giant Joins In
Vinod Koshla, the founder of Sun Microsystems, has always been enthusiastic about the idea of a female presidency. He supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 elections but has so far supported Biden’s campaign. Now that Kamala is onboard, Koshla’s body language has been absolutely supportive.
Unlike other Silicon Valley billionaires, Koshla has been noted to be loquacious about his political views. He recently had a heated exchange with Musk on X about Trump’s depravity.
Another Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist Is in the Mix
Ron Conway is a long-time Democratic supporter. He heads the operations of SV Angel, a venture firm, and is actively involved in philanthropic activities. Conway is well known for donating to the UCFS Medical Center and supporting migrants and trans rights.
Like some other Silicon Valley billionaires, Conway trusts in Harris’ Pro-business policies. He said of the prospective first female president, “She is thoughtful and collaborative, able to bring people together to solve difficult problems and accomplish critical goals.”
A Female Former Twitter Exec Is Also Supporting Kamala Harris
Katie Stanton is one of the famous founders who actively supported the Kamala Harris presidency. Currently a general partner at Moxxie Ventures, a venture capitalist firm, Forbes once listed Stanton as one of the most powerful women in the tech world.
At the get-go of the Harris nomination, Stanton took to X to express her unflinching support for the Democratic candidate. Also, about Trump supporters in Silicon Valley, Stanton affirms that they are in the minority, loud, but their “views don’t match,” she said.
This Venture Capitalist Is Not Entirely Sold Out
Chris Sacca is one of the major investors and venture capitalists supporting Kamala Harris. He runs Lowercase Capital, a VC FIRM. Like Koshla, he supported Hillary Clinton’s election campaign some years back and also worked with the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012.
On his website, Sacca claims to hate politics but feels compelled to support initiatives and organizations that foster the emergence of blue candidates during elections. Sacca claims that the game is naturally rigged against Democrats, and they should get all the available help from constituents.
Another Female VC Is All Out for Harris
Whenever you read the term “unicorn” firms, remember that Aileen Lee coined it. She is one of the Silicon Valley investors supporting Harris. Lee is the founder of The Cowboy Ventures and an unapologetic supporter of the Kamala Harris campaigns.
Lee seldom shares her political inclinations publicly; she indicated her support for black women last year after calling out a conservative activist on LinkedIn for “trying to crush opportunities for deserving, under-represented folks.”
Deven Parekh Also Supports the New Democratic Candidacy
Deven Parekh is a venture capitalist, philanthropist, and Democratic donor who manages Insight Partners. Like Lee, he is also a private person; however, the New York Times reports him as one of the critical Democratic fundraising organizers.
Parekh sealed the question of allegiance in the 2024 elections after he recently retweeted an X post that announced Salman Rushdie’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Has Any US Vice President Become President?
If Kamala Harris eventually becomes president after the November 2024 elections, she would become the 16th vice president of the United States to become the number one citizen.
Of the fifteen former vice presidents who became US presidents, some were sworn in after the sitting president’s illness, assassination, or resignation. In some cases, like Biden’s, the vice presidents contested to occupy the Oval Office right after their vice presidency and won.
ALSO READ: Billionaire Jeff Bezos Gives a Simple Tip for a Successful Future
How Many Billionaires Are There in Silicon Valley?
Silicon Valley is one of the largest concentrations of wealth in the world. The reason for this is not far-fetched, as the largest tech giants run their individual behemoths from that area.
While there are over 200 millionaires in the 1,850 square-mile tech hub, an Investopedia report suggests there are 84 Silicon Valley billionaires. This figure is based on a 2022 poll and may be well above that in 2024.
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