Silicon Valley appears to be turning on Joe Biden and the Democrats as a major fundraising event raised millions for Donald Trump in San Francisco on Thursday.
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 seen as staunchly liberal – potentially causing worries for the Democrats.
Sacks, a partner of 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 per head, with an exclusive $300,000 tier offering perks such as a photo opportunity with Trump – and $500,000 per couple.
The event was expected to rake in 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 alongside Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event.
The event, hosted by prominent venture capitalist David Sacks (pictured) and investment firm founder Chamath Palihapitiya, shows a major shift in sentiment within an industry once seen as 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 alongside Sacks, helped plan the sold-out event
Tickets sold for a hefty $50,000 per head, with an exclusive $300,000 tier offering perks such as a photo opportunity with Trump – and $500,000 per couple
While Sacks had previously donated to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he has since thrown his support behind the Republican Party, publicly endorsing Trump as the preferred candidate.
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated over $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, also now stands alongside Sacks in support of Trump.
‘When we agreed to do this event, we started off– the question was whether we could just raise $5 million, and that was the goal because as you well know, the Bay Area, is sort of a liberal bastion, and so we thought that $5 million might be a big lift,’ Sacks told Fox Business on Friday.
Sacks said the event had a ‘tremendous turnout’ with around 100 attendees.
‘We couldn’t fit one more seat in the place,’ he added. ‘We were completely sold out.’ He said the ‘enthusiasm’ could be felt ‘outside the room.’
Protestors also showed up the night of the event.
Sacks, a partner of Craft Ventures and former COO of PayPal , 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 thrown his support behind the Republican party, publicly endorsing Trump as the preferred candidate
Palihapitiya, a former Biden supporter who donated over $250,000 to his campaign in 2020, also now stands alongside Sacks in support of Trump
‘Even with the protesters, there was a tremendous enthusiasm gap 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 for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, CEO Tom Siebel of C3.ai, and Joe Voboril, a partner at 1789 Capital, also attended.
According to guests, Trump gave a 45-minute serious-toned speech, where 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 rake in a staggering $12 million for Trump’s campaign, a success for the Republican candidate, despite his recent legal troubles
He was introduced by Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, and spoke about foreign policy, emphasizing the perceived threats posed by leaders like Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.
He also spoke of Russia’s post-office economic and military prowess, contrasting it with his time in office.
The event’s location 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.
