Compared with the calls for cat ladies, white dudes and others, the group of venture capitalists was small at around 600.
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Vice President Kamala Harris in Eau Claire, Wis., on Wednesday. She grew up in Bay Area politics and has stronger personal relationships with tech executives and investors than did President Biden.
There was a Zoom call for cat ladies. Ones for Deadheads, Black women, white women, and then, of course, for the white dudes.
And now, at long last, there was one for the venture capitalists.
The latest affinity group to organize behind Kamala Harris on Wednesday represented the lowly millionaire and billionaire investors of Silicon Valley. Relative to the massive Zoom telethons that other groups had been hosting for Ms. Harris over the last two weeks, the “VCs for Kamala” call was a small group of around 600 people. But they represented some of the country’s most notable donors who have outsize influence in technology and Democratic politics.
A week after publishing an open letter in support of Kamala Harris signed by more than 700 influential tech investors, a group of key backers took to Zoom to rally their peers in a way only they could: with PowerPoint presentations, startup aphorisms and a desire to make the Harris funding round “oversubscribed.” Their logo? Designed by AI, naturally.
Ms. Harris, who grew up in Bay Area politics and has stronger personal relationships with tech executives and investors than did President Biden, has ushered in an enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket not seen in years. She is set to return to San Francisco for a fund-raiser this weekend, and the event is already sold out at all but the most expensive price points..
On the call, Reid Hoffman, a major donor to President Biden and Ms. Harris, made the business case for supporting Ms. Harris over former President Donald J. Trump. “No chaos” was far better for business, he said. Other chief executives of major companies he has spoken to agreed, he added.
Ron Conway, a billionaire investor and Silicon Valley Democratic leader, pledged on the call to match $50,000 in donations to the Harris effort. In total, the group received pledges of roughly $135,000 for the Harris campaign.
John Corrigan, an organizer of the call, encouraged listeners to call their relatives in swing states and talk about politics
Mr. Corrigan promised the group would reconvene in September: “After Burning Man.”
Theodore Schleifer writes about campaign finance and the influence of billionaires in American politics. More about Theodore Schleifer
Erin Griffith covers tech companies, start-ups and the culture of Silicon Valley from San Francisco. More about Erin Griffith
See more on: 2024 Elections, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump
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Source: nytimes.com
