At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 on Monday, Sequoia Capital’s managing partner Roelof Botha addressed questions about fellow partner Shaun Maguire and the controversy sparked by Maguire’s earlier remarks, emphasizing that Sequoia upholds its partners’ entitlement to “free speech.”
On July 4, Maguire posted on X, criticizing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani by labeling him an “Islamist” and claiming he “comes from a culture that lies about everything.” These comments triggered significant backlash online and raised concerns about the potential reputational impact on the venture capital firm, which has invested in companies such as Airbnb, Google, Nvidia, and Stripe.
Soon after, more than a thousand founders and tech professionals signed an open letter urging Sequoia to respond and make it clear that “remaining silent in the face of hate has consequences.” Another open letter later appeared in support of Maguire.
Last week, the Financial Times revealed that Sequoia’s chief operating officer, Sumaiya Balbale, who practices Islam, resigned due to the firm’s choice not to discipline Maguire after his statements.
When asked on stage, Botha declined to discuss the COO’s resignation, explaining that Sequoia typically does not comment on internal personnel issues, but he expressed gratitude for Balbale’s contributions to the company.
Addressing whether Sequoia partners have previously voiced their political opinions as openly as their business perspectives, Botha maintained that the firm has always welcomed a range of viewpoints. He pointed out that Sequoia’s Michael Moritz had been an outspoken critic of President Trump, while former managing partner Doug Leone was a strong supporter of Trump.
“Within the firm, we embrace differing perspectives, and we value having ‘spiky’ individuals at Sequoia,” Botha said, referencing Maguire during his conversation with TechCrunch editor-in-chief Connie Loizos.
Botha’s answer was notably forthright, especially given the controversy’s prominence and the risk it might deter some entrepreneurs from collaborating with Sequoia.
“Our partnership actually encompasses a wide spectrum of beliefs, and we appreciate that people choose to express themselves in various ways,” Botha added.
“Some of our partners are deeply involved in philanthropy or private ventures, but they may not be as outspoken on social media as Shaun is. We have always respected each partner’s freedom of expression,” Botha explained.
Botha also argued that Maguire’s unique profile resonates with a particular group of founders. Maguire, for example, has strong ties to Elon Musk’s ventures, overseeing Sequoia’s investments in Neuralink, SpaceX, The Boring Company, X, and xAI. Botha mentioned that Maguire is also attracting founders in another booming sector besides AI: defense technology. For example, he has invested in the fast-growing autonomous weapons company Mach Industries.
“He’s a physics PhD who left high school early,” Botha remarked, highlighting Maguire’s technical expertise.
However, Botha acknowledged that Maguire’s outspoken nature does have its downsides. “Are there trade-offs involved? Absolutely,” he admitted.
