Sequoia Capital Partner Shaun Maguire's controversial X post labeling NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" sparked outrage. Maguire's July 4th accusations—alleging Mamdani promotes "a culture of lying" and advocates for "the destruction of America"—drew widespread condemnation from tech leaders and Muslim founders. The incident highlights growing tensions within the tech industry over political activism and the role of venture capitalists in controversial issues. This controversy follows Maguire's history of provocative right-wing commentary, raising questions about Sequoia Capital's response and the future of political discourse in Silicon Valley
Sequoia Capital Partner Shaun Maguire's controversial remarks, labeling Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" advocating "the destruction of America," sparked widespread outrage. This latest incident, following a pattern of provocative right-wing commentary from the self-described former Hillary Clinton voter and now MAGA supporter, led to a backlash from tech founders and workers. Hundreds of Muslim founders signed an open letter demanding Sequoia apologize and take disciplinary action. The controversy even reached the elite Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference, with Sequoia's managing partner facing intense questioning. Maguire's actions highlight growing divisions within the tech industry regarding Israel and the funding of companies involved in the Gaza conflict, forcing a reckoning with issues of Islamophobia and racism in venture capital
Shaun Maguire's controversial social media posts have ignited a firestorm in the tech industry, exposing deep divisions over Israel and the funding of companies linked to the Gaza conflict—labeled a genocide by the UN and other international bodies. Long-simmering tensions, previously suppressed by fears of job loss and funding cuts among Muslim tech workers, are now erupting into public outrage, with open letters demanding accountability and prompting intense scrutiny of Sequoia Capital's role. This controversy highlights the increasingly polarized political landscape within Silicon Valley and the ethical dilemmas surrounding venture capital investments
Sequoia Capital faces backlash after partner Shaun Maguire's controversial X posts targeting Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Accusations of Islamophobia and racism against the venture capital firm are escalating, with founder Osman "Ozzie" Osman of Monarch Money publicly stating Sequoia is "OK with racism and Islamophobia." The incident highlights growing tensions within the tech industry over political stances and alleged support for controversial figures. Hundreds of Muslim founders signed an open letter demanding accountability from Sequoia
Sequoia Capital's Shaun Maguire faces backlash for inflammatory anti-Muslim and anti-Democratic statements, sparking outrage among tech founders and employees. Critics highlight a double standard, arguing that Maguire's bigoted comments remain unpunished while others expressing concern over the Gaza conflict face repercussions for speaking out. This incident exposes deep divisions within the tech industry regarding Israel and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, with fears of job losses and funding cuts silencing many. The controversy raises questions about Sequoia's tolerance for such rhetoric and the broader issue of political bias in venture capital
Sequoia Capital Partner Shaun Maguire Faces Backlash for Controversial X Posts: Tech Leaders Defend Him Amidst Islamophobia Accusations. Prominent figures like Elon Musk and Joe Lonsdale defended Maguire after his inflammatory comments targeting a mayoral candidate. Hundreds of technologists signed an open letter supporting the "principled thinker," while others condemned his remarks as Islamophobic and racist. The controversy highlights growing divisions within the tech industry over Israel and the role of VCs in geopolitical issues
Despite controversy surrounding Shaun Maguire's outspoken political views, a venture capitalist confirms his deal flow at Sequoia Capital remains unaffected, potentially even strengthened by his association with the burgeoning "American resilience tech" sector
Shaun Maguire's controversial X post labeling mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" sparked outrage. Two days later, Maguire issued a 28-minute video apology, yet doubled down on his claims, citing extensive research on Islamism, the Iranian Revolution, and personal experiences including a kidnapping in Hyderabad, India. He asserted that Mamdani is a "wolf in sheep's clothing," despite his Ramadan observance and mosque visits across 30 countries. This incident highlights growing tensions within the tech industry regarding political activism and the role of venture capitalists like Maguire
Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire's controversial claims about Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani sparked outrage. His assertion of a "sleeper cell infiltration" and framing of the conflict as radical Islam versus the West, echoing the Bush-era "war on terror," ignited a firestorm within the tech industry. This incident highlights growing tensions over Israel and alleged human rights abuses in Gaza, exposing fault lines within Silicon Valley's venture capital landscape and prompting calls for accountability from Sequoia
Shaun Maguire's explosive X post alleging Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is a secret Islamist sparked outrage. Maguire, a Sequoia Capital partner and vocal MAGA supporter, linked Mamdani's background to the 1979 Iranian revolution, highlighting his father's academic career at Columbia University and describing him with strong, controversial terms. This fueled accusations of Islamophobia and prompted a backlash from the tech community, including an open letter demanding Sequoia address Maguire's actions. The controversy underscores deep divisions within the tech industry regarding Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza
Seeking constructive criticism: How can we effectively critique Islamism's risks in the West without unfairly targeting all Muslims? Feedback on addressing this crucial issue is welcome
Shaun Maguire's controversial X post, labeling mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" and accusing him of wanting to "destroy America," sparked a firestorm. While pro-MAGA accounts applauded, widespread condemnation followed from critics, including hundreds of Muslim founders demanding Sequoia Capital take action. This incident highlights growing divisions within the tech industry over political stances and the role of venture capitalists, particularly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Sequoia Capital Partner's Controversial X Post Sparks Tech Industry Backlash: Shaun Maguire's inflammatory comments labeling mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" and accusing him of advocating "the destruction of America" ignited a firestorm. The post, following a pattern of provocative right-wing commentary, led to an open letter demanding Sequoia apologize and disciplinary action. This incident highlights growing tensions within the tech industry regarding Israel and alleged human rights violations in Gaza, forcing a reckoning with the role of venture capital in politically charged issues
Shaun Maguire: From Quantum Physics to Controversial Tech VC. This former Caltech physicist, marathon runner (22nd place, 2011 Marine Corps Marathon!), and Sequoia Capital partner, built a career marked by quantitative rigor and clear communication. His journey, from a pragmatic student exploring startups at USC and Stanford to a prominent, outspoken conservative commentator, has ignited intense debate within the tech industry. Maguire's recent controversial social media posts reveal a sharp shift in political views, prompting widespread criticism and calls for accountability. His background, encompassing academic excellence, athletic achievement, and now, highly-debated political activism, makes him a compelling—and controversial—figure in Silicon Valley
Before his venture capital career, Shaun Maguire worked for DARPA in Afghanistan (2011). Recruited by Director Regina Dugan, a Caltech alumna, he contributed to the Memex program. This initiative focused on developing search tools for data beyond the surface web, involving mapping internet-connected devices to identify unauthorized access to military networks
Maguire has spoken proudly about his work in Afghanistan, posting pictures of himself riding in a military helicopter and telling Blackwater founder Erik Prince on X that he trained at one of his facilities. In a 45-minute video he released in response to a New York Times article last week, Maguire said that he was once woken up by the pressure wave from a deadly suicide bombing. He said that he was “one of about 50 people” who was getting “real-time translations” from the library of intelligence Seal Team 6 gathered from raiding Bin Laden’s compound.
“At no point did I ever hear anything like this back then,” said someone who knew him in Afghanistan when told about Maguire’s comments on Mamdani. This person asked not to be named, citing their ongoing relationship.
“He seemed like a very reasonable, empathetic, competent scientist who embraced travel and being in foreign cultures.” The former colleague described Maguire as having a sense of mission and being concerned about national security issues without seeming ideological. Afghanistan was another stop on the backpacker’s adventure.
Eventually, Maguire and some of his DARPA colleagues, including Tim Junio, a CIA analyst-turned-CEO, spun out a startup called Qadium, which worked with government and industry clients like Goldman Sachs to secure their systems. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund was an early backer. Qadium later rebranded itself as Expanse and was sold to cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks for about $1 billion in 2020.
A VC who worked with Maguire and Qadium described him in admiring terms. “Shaun is somebody who just knows things,” the VC said, saying that Maguire had an impressive depth of technical knowledge, with a sense for where business opportunities might lie. “Shaun’s a smart person who thinks several steps ahead.”
Maguire, now rich, returned to Caltech to finish his Ph.D. and got a job with Google Ventures, or GV. He did well there, investing in Stripe, IonQ, and OpenDoor, but he wasn’t promoted to general partner. Years later, Maguire claimed that he was denied a promotion because he was a white man. He attributed the decision to Google’s leadership — a product of the supposed woke excesses that have triggered a reactionary tilt in some tech elites, from Musk on down. (A Google spokesperson told the New York Post at the time that Maguire’s account was “completely untrue.”) Maguire was prompted to share the story on X in 2024 after Google’s Gemini AI generated images of America’s founding fathers as black men.
In 2019, Maguire jumped ship for tech’s most storied VC firm, Sequoia Capital, with a recommendation from Stripe cofounder Patrick Collison. (After I posted on X that I was writing about Maguire, Collison sent me a direct message asking for a galley of my forthcoming book. He did not respond when I requested an interview and asked whether he helped Maguire get the Sequoia job.)
At Sequoia, where he has the general partner position denied to him at GV, Maguire has become known for investing in Musk’s companies, including the Twitter acquisition, The Boring Company, xAI, and SpaceX. On X, Maguire and Musk are chummy, sharing each other’s posts and offering supportive emojis, especially when Western civilization is at stake. In a recent video, Maguire said that his paper returns for Sequoia were approaching $10 billion.
“His status at the firm is predicated on his relationship with Elon. He’s an Elon guy,” said a vice president at one of Sequoia’s limited partners. “He’s made incredible returns on SpaceX and some of the other Elon-backed companies.”
Paul Biggar, a tech entrepreneur and the founder of Tech for Palestine, an incubator for activist groups involved with the open letter, has sparred with Maguire. “You may not know this… but I’ve been watching you 👀,” Maguire recently wrote on X. Biggar called the message a threat and demanded that Sequoia investigate. Biggar thinks that Maguire’s connection with Musk is overrated. “Sequoia doesn’t need a racist partner to talk to Elon Musk,” Biggar told me.
Headed by Botha, PayPal’s former CFO, Sequoia has no official political alignment; prominent partners like Doug Leone and Michael Moritz have been major donors to the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. “We’re proud of the fact that we’ve enabled many of our partners to express their respective individual views along the way, and given them that freedom,” Botha said at a conference last year.
Sequoia seems to have kept a hands-off approach regarding Maguire’s rising notoriety, and there may be little risk in doing so.
“Given the way this progressed, and because Sequoia didn’t shut this down super early, I don’t think they could do anything about it at this point, even if they wanted to,” said the VC who knows Maguire. “He’s delivered good returns for Sequoia. Just because he has strong political views doesn’t mean he’s not meriting of a role as a partner there.”
Maguire is not alone in his views. Very much in line with a rising ethos in the VC and founder class, he holds himself out as a warrior on behalf of the American ideal, a patriot investing in the country and helping defend it from its enemies. The VC firm Andreessen Horowitz calls it American Dynamism. It’s the same proudly jingoistic attitude seen in industry eminences like Palantir CEO Alex Karp and Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey. It’s why Founders Fund is getting into the action-movie business. “Western Civilization is approaching the Event Horizon,” Maguire recently wrote on X. “If we don’t max thrust our boosters in the other direction we’re not gonna make it.”
He wasn’t always like this. People who knew him pointed to his GV experience and Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 as milestones on his journey toward the inner circle of tech’s new right-wing elite. Maguire has also written at length about his own political transformation.
“Back in 2016 I had drunk the media Kool-Aid and was scared out of my mind about Trump,” Maguire wrote in a May 2024 post endorsing Trump. “As such I donated to Hilary Clinton’s campaign and voted for her.”
Maguire said that he didn’t vote in 2020 and that he turned against the Biden administration after its withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan was accompanied by deadly bombings and the collapse of the US-installed government. After October 7, Maguire thought that the Biden administration was responding with weakness, especially toward Iran. “If you start looking, it’s hard to see anything other than Iranian foreign influence in the Biden administration,” Maguire wrote.
By now Maguire’s posts often came laden with MAGA shibboleths about the corrupt legacy media, anti-Trump lawfare, and woke politics. He touted a $300,000 donation he made to a pro-Donald Trump PAC last year. After Trump’s election in November, he advised the president-elect on intelligence appointments.
Maguire also began talking more publicly about his Judaism — he added the last name Cohn after getting married in 2018 — and his support for Zionism. (One colleague said that he had no idea Maguire was Jewish until he arrived at his wedding in Israel.) He became a leading tech voice agitating on behalf of Israeli war aims. After October 7, Sequoia opened an office in Israel, and Maguire traveled there regularly, leading investments in cybersecurity and military firms. Maguire helped lead a $10 million seed round in Kela, a defense tech company founded by what he and his colleagues called “technowarriors” from elite Israeli military units. Kela produces sensors and AI systems that have been deployed in Gaza — its website touts that its technology is “battle tested” — and reflects the increased interest from American VCs in Israeli startups closely tied to the country’s ongoing war with Hamas and its occupation of the West Bank.
“We at Sequoia had independently formed a thesis around Israeli defense tech,” Maguire and two colleagues wrote in an article on Sequoia’s website. “In the long term, the ambition is to convert Israel into a defense tech hub for Western militaries — a source of strategic advantage for NATO and the US as they seek to deter their adversaries.”
This thesis sits uncomfortably for some who don’t share Maguire’s politics.
The last two years have been “extremely painful and just demoralizing,” said Hosam Arab, the Palestinian founder of fintech startup Tabby, who signed the open letter to Sequoia management. He said that the tech industry has essentially proscribed pro-Palestinian activism while broadly supporting Israel. “You see what’s happening on the ground and you just don’t get the support,” he said, speaking about the predicament for startup founders working in the US. “And you’re worried about speaking out.” (Tabby, which is based in the Middle East, has received investment capital from Sequoia India, which has since become independent of Sequoia Capital.)
Several Muslim and South Asian tech executives I talked to worried that they could be fired for posting pro-Palestinian messages on social media. They described a culture of fear in which they believe only the most successful — founders — could speak out without experiencing major blowback.
One of them was Amjad Masad, CEO of billion-dollar AI coding startup Replit, who recently talked about Gaza during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s show. On X, Maguire wrote that Masad, whose father is Palestinian, had lied to Rogan’s vast audience about a massacre of Palestinians at an aid site. Masad shot back that Maguire’s comment was “a slanderous lie,” based on a misleading screenshot. Khosla Ventures partner Keith Rabois, who has compared Masad to a Nazi, later joined the digital melee, calling Masad a Hamas supporter. Khosla Ventures is an investor in Masad’s company. “If you think I’m Hamas supporter why don’t you do something about it. Or are you a coward?” wrote Masad. (Masad did not respond to a request for comment.)
Among its investments, Sequoia has participated in two funding rounds for nsave, which provides digital banking services to people from “distressed economies,” especially in the Middle East. The company was started by two Rhodes scholars from Syria and Gaza. Nsave’s Palestinian cofounder Abdullah AbuHashem didn’t respond to a request for comment.
While Sequoia can likely weather the media storm, Muslim tech workers, including at Sequoia portfolio companies, are beginning to organize alongside like-minded allies. “We’re producing groups that advocate for Palestine in some part of the ecosystem,” said Biggar, likening Tech for Palestine to a Y Combinator for activist groups.
Maguire’s volubility has struck some observers as out of character with a VC class that once was expected to be quantitative, measured, profit-seeking — and politically agnostic.
“I genuinely thought he was a shit poster,” said an executive at a Sequoia portfolio company, who learned about Maguire through his X posts. “I had no idea he was an investor until very recently. I could not believe it. I thought this had to be a podcaster of some sort.”
The executive, who is an Indian Hindu, said that there was a certain broad acceptance that firms like Sequoia would do business in Israel. The issue, he argued, is that a general partner at Sequoia “visibly entering the end-of-days culture wars as a pundit” indicates that Sequoia might not just be following the money. “He actually is saying out loud what is coalescing into a real capital structure.” The sectors Maguire invested in — cyber, space, crypto, defense tech — are part of “this new military-industrial complex which Sequoia is very much in the middle of.”
People aren’t defending just Maguire, the executive said. “They’re defending the privatization of western defense. They are defending the privatization of global citizens data in the form of Palantir and the massive ICE budget. That’s what this debate is obscuring.”
With more than $85 billion in assets under management, Sequoia’s decisions carry great industry weight, but the firm can afford to take its time.
The VP from one of Sequoia’s LPs told me that while some of Sequoia’s backers might disagree with the company’s policies, it’s hard to exert influence. As the tech industry’s leading VC, Sequoia had its pick of relationships, and potential LPs were eager to give the firm its money. “The Sequoia relationship is one where they have all the power.”
Maguire continues to post daily about the supposed dangerous, secret Islamism of Zohran Mamdani — and his father. “I have been fighting Islamist radicals for well more than a decade,” Maguire said in his recent 45-minute response to the Times’ article. “I have seen true evil up close and personal. I have been trained in identifying evil and terrorists. With Zohran Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, the evidence is extremely clear.”
If anything, Maguire seems unbowed, emboldened by the attention afforded to him. “Btw this me at 1% throttle,” he wrote after the 4th of July furor. “i wish i could show u the unconstrained version.”
Jacob Silverman is the author of “Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection” and co-author of “Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud,” which was a New York Times Bestseller. His next book, “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley,” will be published by Bloomsbury in October.
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