Bill Gates said it was a “surprise” that a “significant right-of-center group” of tech executives in Silicon Valley has emerged in light of the industry’s years-long backing of the Democratic Party.
Gates, the multi-billionaire who co-founded Microsoft, told the New York Times on Thursday that he “always thought of Silicon Valley as being left of center.”
“The fact that now there is a significant right-of-center group is a surprise to me,” Gates told the Times.
In recent years, several prominent tech executives have transitioned their political support from Democratic to Republican candidates, including President Donald Trump.
Elon Musk, the richest person in the world by dint of his position as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, exemplifies this shift.
Historically, Musk identified as a moderate and supported Democratic candidates, including voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
He announced his intention to vote Republican and subsequently became a vocal supporter of Trump, endorsing him during the 2024 presidential campaign and becoming one of his largest individual donors.
Musk’s political transformation aligns with his advocacy for deregulation and free speech, particularly following his acquisition of Twitter in 2022.
Musk, who has emerged as a key adviser to Trump in the White House, has since rebranded Twitter as X.
David Sacks, co-founder of PayPal and venture capitalist, also switched his allegiance from Democratic candidates to Republicans.
In 2016, Sacks donated nearly $70,000 to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
By 2024, he had become a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, hosting a fundraiser that raised approximately $12 million for Trump’s campaign.
Sacks’ shift reflects a broader trend among tech leaders who have grown critical of progressive policies and now advocate for conservative approaches to governance and economic management.
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, has long been an outlier in Silicon Valley due to his conservative views.
Initially supporting Libertarian causes and candidates, Thiel endorsed Ron Paul in 2008.
He later became a significant supporter of Trump, speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention and donating $1.25 million to Trump’s campaign.
Thiel’s support continued into the 2024 election cycle, where he remained a key ally and donor.
Patrick Collison, CEO of Stripe, was also a reliable donor to Democrats before he contributed $200,000 to Republican PACs ahead of last year’s election.
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also shifted his political stance.
Despite a liberal upbringing and initial support for Democratic candidates, Horowitz endorsed Trump in the 2024 election.
His decision was influenced by dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s tech policies, particularly regarding cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.
Marc Andreessen, the other co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, also backed Trump.
Gates, the 69-year-old philanthropist, who did not address his ties to disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein during the interview with the Times, has been speaking to several media outlets ahead of the release of his new memoir titled “Source Code: My Beginnings.”
The memoir, the first book in a volume of three that Gates is working on, was published by Knopf. It is due to go on sale on Tuesday.
