Thursday, 21 November 2024
Thursday, 21 November 2024
Elon Musk
Tech giant Elon Musk backed former President Donald J. Trump’s bid for the White House after Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns, sharing a video of Trump raising his fist. On Monday, after Trump announced that Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio would be his Republican running mate, Musk posted congratulations and said it was an “excellent decision by @realDonaldTrump”. Musk has broken with tradition set by the leaders of other social media firms, none of whom have endorsed a candidate. Elon Musk's associates have initiated a new super political action committee, America PAC, aimed at supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race. This PAC, which has reportedly already spent $15 million on Trump’s campaign, is likely to attract substantial backing from Musk and other prominent tech entrepreneurs.
David Sacks
Venture capitalist and tech entrepreneur David Sacks hosted a high-profile fundraiser in support of Donald Trump’s 2024 candidacy on June 6, 2024, which raised approximately $12 million. The event drew numerous tech industry figures, including Chamath Palihapitiya, co-host of the "All-In" podcast, and the Winklevoss twins. “The voters have experienced four years of President Trump and four years of President Biden,” Sacks wrote in an open letter published to X on June 6. “In tech, we call this an A/B test. With respect to economic policy, foreign policy, border policy, and legal fairness, Trump performed better. He is the President who deserves a second term.”
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the co-founders of the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, have publicly endorsed Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. They each pledged $1 million in Bitcoin, totaling approximately 30.94 BTC, to support his campaign. “President Donald J. Trump is the pro-Bitcoin, pro-crypto, and pro-business choice,” Tyler Winklevoss posted on X on June 21. “This is not even remotely open for debate. Anyone who tells you otherwise is severely misinformed, delusional, or not telling the truth.” The Winklevoss’ have criticised President Joe Biden’s administration for waging a "war on crypto" through regulatory actions. The Winklevoss’ are reportedly in support of the PAC initiated by Elon Musk’s group to rally support for Trump.
Doug Leone
Doug Leone, a billionaire venture capitalist and former managing partner at Sequoia Capital, publicly announced his support for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. In a post on X from June 3, Leone stated, “I have become increasingly concerned about the general direction of our country, the state of our broken immigration system, the ballooning deficit, and the foreign policy missteps, among other issues. Therefore, I am supporting former President Trump in this coming election.” This marks a significant reversal from his previous stance, as Leone had renounced his support for Trump following the January 6th Capitol riot, when he had stated that Trump's behaviour during the riots caused him to lose "many of his supporters, including me.” Leone has reportedly put $1 million into the pro-Trump PAC initiated by Elon Musk’s group.
Andreesen and Horowitz
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, co-founders of the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, have publicly expressed their support for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid and announced plans to make personal donations to the campaign. This support is driven by their dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden's policies, particularly those affecting the tech industry, such as cryptocurrency regulations and antitrust enforcement. The pair wrote a blog post earlier this month lamenting that the American government was now “far more hostile to new startups than it used to be.” Andreessen spoke at a Trump rally in June. He has expressed concern about the impact of regulations on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, areas where some expect Trump to be more friendly to the industry.
Joe Lonsdale
Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir and managing partner at 8VC, has publicly expressed his support for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Lonsdale, a prominent figure in the tech industry, has been critical of President Joe Biden's administration, particularly its regulatory approaches which he believes stifle innovation and economic growth. In an interview with Reason from March 4, he stated, "We need leadership that understands the importance of innovation and the role it plays in our economy. Trump’s approach aligns with the values of entrepreneurship and growth. Lonsdale is also a key figure in the pro-Trump PAC initiated by Elon Musk. Lonsdale has reportedly been instrumental in fundraising efforts, reportedly contributing $1 million personally and leveraging his network for additional support.
Shaun Maguire
Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, has publicly declared his support for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Following Trump’s guilty verdict in the New York hush money case, Maguire announced his donation of $300,000 to Trump's campaign on X on May 30. He expressed that he believed the justice system had been "weaponized" against Trump. Maguire, who previously supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 stated in the post on X, "Back in 2016 I had drunk the media Kool-Aid and was scared out of my mind about Trump… Now, in 2024, I believe this is one of the most important elections of my lifetime, and I’m supporting Trump.” Though anticipating backlash for his decision, Maguire expressed disillusion in Silicon Valley regarding Biden’s administrative policies. Maguire has reportedly donated $500,000 to Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC.
