Kamala Harris Garners the Support From More Than 400 Capital Investors

More than 400 startup founders, tech leaders, and venture capitalists have pledged to support Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 Presidential Elections. These investors are based mostly out of Silicon Valley.

These Democrat-leaning investors are standing up against the chunk of tech billionaires backing up the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.

Who are the signatories?

Signatories include billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban; LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman; Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla; and Silicon Valley angel investor Ron Conway. Reid Hoffman has already donated $7 million to the Harris campaign.

The names on the list are largely unsurprising and were those expected to support a Democratic ticket. Additionally, many of them are generally supportive of women’s rights and advancement in tech and venture capital.

What do the supporters say?

In a letter published on a new “VCs for Kamala” website, “strong, trustworthy institutions are a feature, not a bug, and that our industry – and every other industry – would collapse without them.” The group also wrote that they are “pro-business, pro-American dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technological progress.”

Donald Trump recently got the support of a small minority of tech’s wealthiest leaders and investors, which includes names like Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and David Sacks. They have been donating to and voicing support for the candidacy of former President Donald Trump.

According to Politico, the “VCs for Kamala” pledge to “vote for” Harris means very little, particularly since many signatories reside in deep-blue California or other non-competitive states. While the website includes a link where visitors can give money to Harris for President, tech leaders can sign the pledge without committing to any level of donations.

Tech Industry in a Political Flux

In a post on X, David Marcus, CEO of Lightspark payment company and former Paypal President, talked about backing the Republican Party and President Trump, even after previously raising money for the Democrats.

I am crossing the Rubicon and backing the Republican Party and President Trump.

Many — including a former version of myself — get trapped in a mental framework that becomes their identity and prevents them from radically evolving their thinking with new facts and information. I…

— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) July 31, 2024