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Silicon Valley Bank HQ photos: Staff order pizza as people gather outside

A delivery person drops off pizzas at Silicon Valley Bank’s headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Noah Berger/Getty Images | Source: Noah Berger/Getty Images

Silicon Valley Bank, the Santa Clara-based bank that was a major backer for technology companies and startups as recently as Thursday, has been shut down.

This is the second biggest bank to fail in U.S. history, and the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis.

As the news spread Friday morning, sources say many Silicon Valley Bank workers were told to stay home apart from essential branch staffers.

READ MORE: ‘Payroll Is on Monday’: VCs, Startups Scramble for Answers After Biggest Bank Crash Since 2008

Still, as journalists flocked to the bank’s Santa Clara headquarters, a number of workers were seen sequestered inside the bank’s locked doors—pizza was even delivered.

The Standard witnessed customers lingering outside the bank, many holding cellphones, sending harried texts and making important calls.

Here are 10 more photos from Friday morning:

A worker, center, tells people that the Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara is closed on March 10, 2023. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
A customer stands outside of a shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Reporters linger outside shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Dan Fenstermacher for The Standard
People text and speak on the phone outside shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Dan Fenstermacher for The Standard
Employees stand outside of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
A worker inside the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara looks outside on March 10, 2023. | Dan Fenstermacher for The Standard
Workers look out a door at Silicon Valley Bank's headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Noah Berger/Getty Images
A woman rides a scooter by shuttered the Silicon Valley Bank headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Dan Fenstermacher for The Standard
A silhouetted security guard talks on a telephone inside Silicon Valley Bank's headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Noah Berger/Getty Images
A notice informing of Silicon Valley Bank's closure hangs at the banks headquarters in Santa Clara on March 10, 2023. | Noah Berger/Getty Images

Sophie Bearman can be reached at sophie@sfstandard.com