Tech titans who formally voted for Biden are now rallying behind the former president Donald Trumpraising millions during a high-profile fundraiser in San Francisco.
The event, organized by prominent venture capitalist David Sacks and investment firm founder Chamath Palihapitiya, marks a major shift in sentiment within an industry once seen as staunchly liberal, potentially raising concerns for Democrats.
Sacks, a partner at Craft Ventures and former COO of PayPalopened the doors to his Pacific Heights home for the fundraiser, where tickets sold for a hefty $50,000 per person, with a $300,000 exclusive tier that offers perks like a photo opportunity with Trump — and $500,000 per couple.
The event was expected to raise as much as $12 million for Trump’s campaign, a success for the Republican candidate despite his recent legal troubles.
Palihapitiya, known for his advocacy for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and co-host of the popular All-In podcast alongside Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event.
The event, organized by prominent venture capitalist David Sacks (pictured) and investment firm founder Chamath Palihapitiya, marks a major shift in sentiment within an industry once considered decidedly liberal.
Palihapitiya (pictured with his wife), known for his advocacy for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and co-host of the popular All-In podcast alongside Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event
Tickets sell for a hefty $50,000 per person, with an exclusive level of $300,000 with perks like a photo opportunity with Trump – and $500,000 per couple
Although Sacks had previously donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he has since thrown his support behind the Republican Party and publicly endorsed Trump as the preferred candidate.
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated more than $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, is also now standing alongside Sacks in support of Trump.
“When we agreed to do this event, we started: the question was, could we just raise $5 million, and that was the goal, because as you know, the Bay Area is kind of a liberal bastion, and so we thought that $5 million could be a big increase,” Sacks told Fox Business on Friday.
Sacks said the event had a “huge turnout” with about 100 people in attendance.
“We couldn’t fit one more chair in there,” he added. “We were completely sold out.” He said the “enthusiasm” was palpable “outside the room.”
Protesters also showed up on the evening of the event.
Sacks, a Craft Ventures partner and former COO of PayPal, opened the doors of his Pacific Heights home for the fundraiser
Although Sacks had previously donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he has since thrown his support behind the Republican Party and publicly endorsed Trump as the preferred candidate.
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated more than $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, is also now standing alongside Sacks in support of Trump
“Even among the protesters, there was a huge gap in enthusiasm between the pro-Trump side and the pro-Biden side,” Sacks said. “And if that’s in liberal San Francisco, what does that say about the rest of the country?”
Among the notable guests were Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of a prominent crypto exchange, and Jacob Helberg, who is a commissioner for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, C3.ai CEO Tom Siebel, and Joe Voboril, partner at 1789 Capital, were also in attendance.
According to guests, Trump gave a serious 45-minute speech in which he began by reminiscing about his late uncle, John G. Trump, an esteemed engineer and MIT professor.
He reportedly joked that he should have followed in his uncle’s footsteps, the New York Post reported.
The event was expected to raise as much as $12 million for Trump’s campaign, a success for the Republican candidate despite his recent legal troubles.
Introduced by Senator JD Vance of Ohio, he spoke about foreign policy, highlighting the perceived threats posed by leaders such as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.
He also spoke about the economic and military prowess of the Russian Post Office, in contrast to his time in office.
The event’s location in the liberal-leaning Pacific Heights neighborhood was near Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s home.
Sources revealed that Trump made unusual use of prepared notes during his speech, the Post reported.
