Tech titans who formally voted for Biden are now backing former President Donald Trump and raised millions at a high-profile fundraising event in San Francisco.
The event, hosted by prominent venture capitalist David Sacks and investment firm founder Chamath Palihapitiya, shows a major shift in sentiment within an industry once considered staunchly liberal, which could cause concerns for Democrats. .
Sacks, a partner at Craft Ventures and former COO of PayPal, opened the doors of his Pacific Heights home for the fundraiser, where tickets sold for a hefty $50,000 a head, with an exclusive $300,000 tier that offers perks like a photo opportunity with Trump. and $500,000 per couple.
The event was expected to raise a staggering $12 million for Trump’s campaign, a success for the Republican candidate despite his recent legal troubles.
Palihapitiya, known for his advocacy of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and co-host of the popular All-In podcast along with Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event.
The event, organized by prominent venture capitalist David Sacks (pictured) and investment firm founder Chamath Palihapitiya, shows a major shift in sentiment within an industry once considered staunchly liberal.
Palihapitiya (pictured with his wife), known for his advocacy of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and co-host of the popular All-In podcast along with Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event.
Tickets sold for a hefty $50,000 per person, with an exclusive $300,000 tier offering perks like a photo opportunity with Trump and $500,000 per couple.
While Sacks had previously donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he has since supported the Republican Party, publicly endorsing Trump as the preferred candidate.
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated more than $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, now also stands alongside Sacks in supporting Trump.
“When we agreed to do this event, we started – the question was could we 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 dollars could be a big increase,” Sacks told Fox Business on Friday.
Sacks said the event had a “tremendous turnout” with about 100 attendees.
“We couldn’t fit one more seat in the place,” he added. “We were completely exhausted.” He said the “enthusiasm” could be felt “outside the room.”
Protesters also showed up the night of the event.
Sacks, a partner at Craft Ventures and former PayPal COO, opened the doors of his Pacific Heights home for the fundraiser.
While Sacks had previously donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he has since supported the Republican Party, publicly endorsing Trump as the preferred candidate.
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated more than $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, is now also standing alongside Sacks in support of Trump.
“Even with the protesters, there was a tremendous 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 tell you about the rest of the country?”
Among the notable guests in attendance were Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of a prominent crypto exchange, and Jacob Helberg, who serves as Commissioner of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Also in attendance were venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, CEO Tom Siebel of C3.ai, and Joe Voboril, partner at 1789 Capital.
According to guests, Trump gave a serious 45-minute speech, where he began by remembering 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 a staggering $12 million for Trump’s campaign, a success for the Republican candidate despite his recent legal troubles.
He was introduced by Senator JD Vance of Ohio and spoke about foreign policy, emphasizing the perceived threats posed by leaders such as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.
He also spoke of Russia’s economic and military prowess in the postal service, comparing it to his time in office.
The location of the event in the liberal-leaning Pacific Heights neighborhood was located near Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s residence.
Sources revealed that Trump unusually made use of prepared notes during his speech, the Post reported.