Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital in Menlo Park, California, announced on X that he contributed $300,000 to former President Donald Trump’s campaign following the New York City jury verdict. The case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“I just donated $300k to President Trump,” Maguire wrote. “The timing isn’t a coincidence.”
Maguire, who supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and did not vote in 2020 due to disillusionment, expressed his belief that the upcoming election is highly consequential. He acknowledged potential personal and professional repercussions for his public support of Trump.
“I know that I’ll lose friends for this. Some will refuse to do business with me,” Maguire stated. “The media will probably demonize me, as they have so many others before me. But despite this, I still believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Maguire emphasized his commitment to free expression, writing, “I refuse to live in a society where people are afraid to speak.”
In explaining his decision to back Trump, Maguire cited a range of issues including January 6, foreign policy and what he termed “lawfare.” He mentioned devoting significant time to researching the charges against the former president.
“This is too broad of a topic to go into detail here, but suffice to say I’ve spent hundreds of hours following the trials and researching the charges against Trump,” he wrote. “This has been another radicalizing experience. I understand that normally when there’s smoke there’s fire, but in this case I think when there’s smoke there’s lawfare.”
Founded in 1971, Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that specializes in investments across various stages. It was an early backer of companies like Atari and Apple. The firm reportedly manages over $85 billion in assets.
Maguire reiterated his expectation of facing criticism and professional challenges due to his stance, but maintained his conviction in supporting Trump’s campaign.
