Sequoia partner spreads debunked Brown shooting theory, testing new leadership

Sequoia Capital spouse Shaun Maguire is erstwhile again drafting unwanted attraction to the salient task steadfast aft falsely accusing a Palestinian pupil of being down the December 13 Brown University wide shooting and the consequent execution of an MIT professor.

In since-deleted posts connected X, Maguire speculated that “it seems precise likely” the pupil was the perpetrator, pointing to Brown “actively scrubbing his online presence.” In reality, authorities identified the shooter arsenic Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese nationalist who was aboriginal recovered dormant successful a New Hampshire retention facility. Brown officials said they removed the student’s integer footprint arsenic a protective measurement against unsafe speculation.

Fast Company republished Maguire’s deleted posts connected Friday (he has antecedently near inflammatory contented online). The incidental follows months of arguable posts targeting Muslims and pro-Palestine activists, including calling New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani an “Islamist” successful July. That station led to a swift online backlash, with astir 1,200 founders and tech manufacture professionals signing an open letter urging Sequoia to instrumentality action. An unfastened missive aboriginal surfaced supporting Maguire.

The newest occurrence raises questions astir whether Sequoia’s caller enactment — managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who took implicit past period — tin oregon volition rein successful Maguire’s societal media activity. Chief operating serviceman Sumaiya Balbale left the firm successful August implicit Sequoia’s inaction connected Maguire’s anti-Muslim comments, according to earlier reporting by the Financial Times. Former managing spouse Roelof Botha, who stepped down successful November, defended Maguire’s behaviour during an interview astatine TechCrunch Disrupt successful October, calling Sequoia a believer successful its partners’ close to “free speech.”

“Internally, we observe diverseness of opinions, and we request ‘spiky’ radical wrong Sequoia,” Botha said, referring to Maguire. He offered that Maguire had a “specific profile” that appeals to definite founders. Maguire has led investments successful galore defence tech and AI startups, and reportedly has heavy connections with Elon Musk’s companies, managing Sequoia’s investments successful Neuralink, SpaceX, The Boring Company, X, and xAI.

However, Botha acknowledged trade-offs to Maguire’s outspokenness. “Does it travel with trade-offs? Yes, it does,” helium said.

Lin and Grady person not publically addressed Maguire’s behaviour since taking implicit leadership.

The Council connected American-Islamic Relations has called for Maguire’s firing, telling Fast Company that his accusations are “deeply irresponsible and incredibly dangerous.”

TechCrunch has reached retired to Sequoia for comment.