Since Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump, the floodgates have apparently opened of Silicon Valley tech figures publicly supporting his reelection campaign.
A number of prominent venture capitalists and executives in a traditionally left-leaning industry have thrown their support behind Trump. Still, a survey this week by the tech news site The Information found that while those voices may be loud, readers favor President Biden by a 2-1 margin.
Here’s a running list of Silicon Valley leaders who have proclaimed their support for Trump.
Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, general partners at Andreesen Horowitz
The founders of one of the Valley’s most recognizable venture capital firms have come out in support of Trump and reportedly plan to throw large donations behind his reelection. In an extended podcast the investors recorded to explain their rationale, they said they believe Trump will be more effective in regulating and supporting the growth of emerging technologies like cryptocurrency and AI.
“The future of our business, the future of technology, new technology and the future of America is literally at stake, so here we are. And for little tech, we think Donald Trump is actually the right choice,” Horowitz said.
David Sacks, partner at Craft Ventures
Sacks came out strongly as a Trump supporter by hosting a major fundraiser at his Pacific Heights mansion, where attendees paid as much as $300,000. His appearance as a speaker during the Republican National Convention came with a requisite amount of San Francisco bashing.
“In my hometown of San Francisco, Democrat rule has turned the streets of our beautiful city into a cesspool of open encampments and open drug use,” he said.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX
Less than an hour after the former president was hurried off the stage of his Pennsylvania rally by his security detail, Musk posted an endorsement of Trump on X. He has followed that with dozens more posts making clear his views on the election.
Musk endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and said he voted for Biden in 2020.
Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of Social Capital
Palihapitiya, one of the hosts of the “All-In” tech and politics podcast, co-hosted the Trump fundraiser in San Francisco with Sacks. After J.D. Vance was announced as Trump’s pick for vice president, Palihapitiya tweeted, “A Bestie adjacent as the VP?!?!?!”
Joe Lonsdale, managing partner at 8VC
In a guest post for The Economist, Lonsdale said, “The only candidate in this race whose administration is likely to restore competence to government is Mr. Trump.”
Lonsdale co-founded the defense technology companies Anduril and Palantir and has donated to the pro-Trump America PAC.
Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia Capital
Maguire has been vocal about his support for Trump’s reelection. In May, he tweeted that he had donated $300,000 to efforts to reelect the former president and was “prepared to lose friends” over his political stance.
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR and Anduril
Luckey co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump in June in Newport Beach. He told NPR that in 2011, he wrote to Trump to nudge him to run for president.
“I said, ‘Hey, consider me one of the people who thinks it’s good to have a businessperson in office, somebody who’s familiar with signing both sides of a check,’ ” he told NPR.
Doug Leone, partner at Sequoia Capital
Billionaire investor Doug Leone, who said he could no longer support Trump after the Capitol riot in 2021, changed his mind and said in early June that he would once again back him. Leone is a major donor to the pro-Trump America PAC.
Eoghan McCabe, CEO of Intercom
Eoghan McCabe, founder of San Francisco business messaging software maker Intercom, said he became a U.S. citizen about six months ago. He posted on X in response to a list of tech figures in the pro-Trump camp that “there are hundreds more leaders who have quietly concluded that Trump is the superior choice for the health of the United States.”
Jacob Helberg
Palantir adviser Jacob Helberg, who is married to venture capitalist Keith Rabois, is a major Trump donor and whisperer.
Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel, a major Trump donor in 2016, reportedly said at June’s Aspen Ideas Festival that “if you hold a gun to my head, I’ll vote for Trump,” according to CNBC. Vance, Trump’s VP pick, once worked for Thiel, who has been a major financial supporter of his political ascension.