The tech industry's political fractures just got deeper. Prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway resigned from the Salesforce Foundation board Thursday, directly citing CEO Marc Benioff's recent support for sending federal troops to San Francisco. The move signals how Trump's return is splitting Silicon Valley's elite, with longtime Democratic donors drawing hard lines over political alignment.
The shockwaves from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's controversial political pivot are hitting Silicon Valley's power structure. Ron Conway, the legendary venture capitalist behind early investments in Google, Airbnb, and Stripe, just quit the Salesforce Foundation board after more than a decade of service.
The resignation stems directly from Benioff's recent comments supporting President Trump's suggestion to deploy federal troops in San Francisco. "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it," Benioff told The New York Times last week, just days before Salesforce's annual Dreamforce conference kicked off downtown.
Conway didn't mince words in his departure. According to The Times, he told Benioff directly that their "values were no longer aligned." That's venture capital speak for a complete breakdown in relationship.
The timing couldn't be more awkward for Salesforce. Conway's exit comes as the company's signature conference draws thousands to downtown San Francisco, the very area Benioff suggested needed federal intervention. Tesla CEO Elon Musk seized on Benioff's original comments, amplifying them to his massive social media following by calling downtown SF a "drug zombie apocalypse."
This isn't just any board resignation. Conway, founder of SV Angel, represents Silicon Valley's old guard Democratic establishment. He donated around $500,000 to Kamala Harris campaign funds and was a member of VCs for Kamala. For over a decade, he's championed tech's role in San Francisco through organizations like sf.citi and immigration reform group FWD.us.
Benioff tried walking back his troop comments on X, writing that safety is "first and foremost, the responsibility of our city and state leaders." But the damage was done. By then, right-wing figures had already weaponized his words, and Trump himself called San Francisco "a mess" while floating National Guard deployment.
The fallout reveals how Trump's return is fracturing Silicon Valley's philanthropic networks. Conway isn't just leaving the Foundation - he's also a major donor to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, creating potential complications for Benioff's broader charitable empire.
