Tech founders call on Sequoia Capital to denounce VC Shaun Maguire's Mamdani comments

A coalition of nearly 600 individuals has sent an open letter to Sequoia Capital's leaders, voicing their concerns over comments made by partner Shaun Maguire. The remarks, described by the group as a 'deliberate, inflammatory attack,' targeted Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral candidate in New York City, following his primary victory last month. Maguire, known for his support of former President Trump, took to X to assert that Mamdani 'comes from a culture that lies about everything' and is pushing an 'Islamist agenda.' His post attracted significant attention, amassing 5.3 million views by Monday afternoon. Alongside this, Maguire shared a video on X attempting to clarify his comments. The signatories of the letter are demanding that Sequoia publicly denounce Maguire’s statements and extend an apology to Mamdani and the Muslim founder community. They are also urging the firm to conduct an independent review of Maguire's conduct over the past two years and to implement a zero-tolerance policy towards hate speech and religious discrimination. The letter includes a deadline for Sequoia to respond by July 14, warning that failure to do so will lead to broader media engagement and mobilization efforts to ensure accountability. Sequoia has not issued a comment on the matter. Maguire, in response to the letter, stated on X, 'You can try everything you want to silence me, but it will just embolden me.' Notable figures who signed the letter include Mudassir Sheikha, CEO of Careem, and Amr Awadallah, CEO of AI startup Vectara. Others such as Abubakar Abid from Hugging Face and Ahmed Sabbah, CEO of Telda, also added their names. Several founders associated with the Y Combinator accelerator program have joined the call for action. Sequoia Capital has a history of political involvement, with Doug Leone, a former lead partner, being a notable Republican donor. In contrast, Leone's predecessor, Mike Moritz, has been a significant Democratic donor and openly criticized Trump supporters among his colleagues. Current lead partner Roelof Botha has maintained a more neutral position, stating that the partnership does not take a political stance and supports individual expression among its members. Maguire's political leanings are well-known, having previously disclosed a substantial donation to Trump. Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, has faced backlash from some sectors of the tech and business community since his primary win against former Governor Andrew Cuomo.