Tech VC Ben Horowitz Flips On Trump: Will Make 'Significant’ Donation To Kamala Harris
by Antonio Pequeño IV · ForbesTopline
Ben Horowitz and his wife will make a “significant” donation to Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a tweet from the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, a notable reversal of his support for former President Donald Trump announced last summer, when Trump seemed to be pulling key tech figures away from the Democratic Party.
Key Facts
The plan for Horowitz and his wife to donate to Harris was addressed in an email to employees of his venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, according to Axios, which first reported the development.
The email was later posted by Horowitz, who said he and his wife, Felicia, have known Harris for more than 10 years and has been “a great friend to both of us over that time.”
Horowitz message of support was not without its criticisms of Harris and President Joe Biden, as the investor said her campaign has yet to formally state its intentions with their tech policies and that the “Biden Administration has been exceptionally destructive on tech policy across the industry."
Horowitz said in his email his firm only supports politicians who are aligned with its “Little Tech Agenda,” a doctrine prioritizing the empowerment of tech startups and critiquing anti-tech policies and practices.
Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen, also pledged his support for Trump alongside Horowitz in July.
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Crucial Quote
“As we stated earlier, the Biden Administration has been exceptionally destructive on tech policy across the industry, but especially as it relates to Crypto/Blockchain and AI,” Horowitz said in the email. “So, while I am very hopeful that the Harris Administration will be much better, they have not yet stated their intentions.”
Key Background
Horowitz, who said in his email Harris was a friend to his venture capital firm in its early days, planned to support Trump just three months ago, when The Information reported he and Andreessen told employees they were going to donate to PACs supporting Trump. The co-founders pledged their support for Trump before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and later posted a podcast explaining their rationale for backing Trump. Horowitz and Andreessen’s support for Trump was rooted in anticipation for the loosening of regulations in cryptocurrency. The venture capitalists joined a wide range of tech moguls who threw their support behind Trump this summer including Tesla chief Elon Musk, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and Gemini executives Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
Further Reading
Billionaire Winklevoss Twins Donate $2 Million In Bitcoin To Support Donald Trump (Forbes)
Elon Musk Will Give About $45 Million A Month To Support Trump, Report Says (Forbes)