Sequoia Partner Maguire's Posts on Mamdani Spark Founder Petition
Startup executives from Dubai to Cupertino are asking Sequoia to apologize for a partner’s post on X
Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia Capital, speaks during the Hill & Valley forum at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergA growing list of startup founders are circulating an open letter to Sequoia Capital urging the prominent venture capital firm to take action against one of its partners, Shaun Maguire. The letter, which had more than 520 digital signatories as of Monday afternoon, follows a July 4th post on X in which Maguire referred to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as an “Islamist.”
Maguire, an avid X poster best known for his investments in SpaceX and xAI, claimed in the controversial X post that Mamdani “comes from a culture that lies about everything” and is willing to lie “if it advances his Islamist agenda.”