Andreessen Horowitz co-founders explain why they're supporting Trump

https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/16/andreessen-horowitz-co-founders-explain-why-theyre-supporting-trump/

by yellow_postit • 2 years ago

13 14 2 years ago

ggm2• 2 years ago

The reason he is choosing Trump over President Joe Biden boils down primarily to one major issue — he believes Trump’s policies are much more favorable for tech, specifically for the startup ecosystem.

This is at least clear. Trump will make Andreessen Horowitz more money in the value proposition of modern american investment than Democrat policies.

The fact that democrat policies might be more socially progressive, regarding female reproductive rights, or in housing, public utility functions, health, strategic posture in the world, defensive to real goods and services trade worldwide, has nothing to do with it.

No, Andreessen Horowitz is focussed on the bottom line: They will get orgasmically rich no matter what, but it will be multiple orgasms of money, if Trump wins.

Tech is not why I vote, that should be clear. I vote for reasons which do not relate to the VC model of finance, and the tech sector investment posture.

(I am not an american, nor reside in the USA and so this comment is from outside)

maga_2020• 2 years ago

Not sure why my post was flagged here.. .but My counter answer to yours is:

-- I suspect that many of the people in some public / high-net-worth / high-visibility positions that support Trump, actually share most of his views (on social issues, on governance, on foreign policy).

However, those folks will pick up 'least divisive' differentiating issue they can find, and will say that 'that's why the support Trump (e.g. low taxes, or whatever).

But I think they support him for being a modern day hero, basically -- withstanding the assault on his person, assault on his close allies, on the US Constitution, withstanding the pain, the threats, for years -- and not giving up.

And, yes, they support whatever he stands for as well. So they support the person, and support his policies not just 'a particular issue.

ggm2• 2 years ago

Yes. But I think Andreessen Horowitz are --> saying <-- it's because of a specific outcome.

I don't for one minute think thats the only reason. I agree with most of your intent: they agree with him both personally and politically. It makes perfect sense for them to vote for him, and to ask others to vote for him.

It's entirely self consistent. I don't think its laudable, nor do I think Trump is a hero. I do think the resilience these people show in the face of contempt is an admirable quality, but thats very specific: Theil is resilient in the face of years of opposition, grounded in what I am told (read) was persisting bullying at university by liberal elites. Does that somehow make every cause he believes in equally tenable to me? Fuck no! He's utterly opposed to my personal and political goals in life, and we are polar opposites politically. His personal resilience in the face of abuse to his sexuality has nothing to do with it.

Edit: I have read that Trumps immigration policies will affect H1-B class visa, and so the chain of cheap ICT labour from India is going to dry up. This has in part fuelled the tech value chain. So, is it not possible that Trump's policies are actually .. harmful to the VC sector?

jrflowers• 2 years ago

TLDR: Taxes and AI regulation. Marc Andreesen is above ideology as evidenced by his lengthy recent manifesto about how he thinks the world should work

KingOfCoders2• 2 years ago

Not above the "Money above all" ideology.

fuzzfactor• 2 years ago

I figured with their kind of money they could bring Biden around, or at least hundreds of Democrats around him that would be just as effective.

Looks like they're falling for ol' Dishonest Don instead, using the same old familiar tactics that ended up bankrupting so many, decades ago.

If people could have only seen it unfold.

Biden's being lobbied by Wall Street to shift more of the opportunity back to the East Coast before it gets much more out-of-hand.

But Trump is from NYC and has owed East Coast and foreign banks more than he was worth since the beginning.

_zagj• 2 years ago

I thought Ben Horowitz was fairly progressive. Were these high net-worth VCs, CEOs, and fund managers suddenly endorsing Trump actually closet Trumpers all along, or are they just cynically reading the room and trying to pander to it? For Bill Ackman, it certainly seems to be the latter, given his tendency to walk back premature hot-takes: https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-ackman-no-hire-list-gle...

napoleoncomplex• 2 years ago

What an evolution for the tech industry. From being the underdogs trying to change the world for the better, to becoming top dogs with all the same egoism and "money and power above all" that Big Oil and similar industries have been known for for decades.

From that perspective, Trump loves money, loves deregulation, and will open the door for whatever dystopian play if it provides enough benefits to him, so it only makes sense for him to be more favoured.

All that will come from this will be more evidence to how power corrupts everyone, and a lot of money made.

KingOfCoders2• 2 years ago

  "With them it was always the dollars, 
   always the fuckin'dollars."
  - Nicky Santoro, Casino

beardyw• 2 years ago

It is ironic that those who are less well off fail to see any connection between those they vote for and their personal interest. Those who least need to benefit do see it.

ZeroGravitas• 2 years ago

The money from Musk et al is used to convince the poor that they shouldn't vote or should vote against their interests.

Everyone gets a vote (though in an imperfect system) but $45 million a month can buy a lot of BS to neutralise those votes in various ways.

newfriend• 2 years ago

Are you saying that poor people who vote for Trump are voting against their interests?

activista• 2 years ago

Vote folks - at the ballot box, and with where you choose to apply your talent.

Andreessen Horowitz co-founders explain why they're supporting Trump

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