Silicon Valley's most powerful players are closing ranks around David Sacks after a bombshell New York Times investigation exposed hundreds of conflicts of interest between his White House role as AI and crypto czar and his undisclosed investments. The coordinated defense from tech titans like Sam Altman only amplifies questions about how venture capitalists have captured Trump's tech policy agenda.
The tech establishment just threw its weight behind one of its own, and the timing couldn't be more telling. Hours after The New York Times published a devastating investigation into David Sacks' conflicts of interest as Trump's AI and crypto czar, Silicon Valley's A-list started tweeting their support. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman led the charge, followed by a parade of venture capitalists and AI executives defending the man who's become their most valuable asset in Washington.
The coordinated response reveals just how much the industry has riding on Sacks' position. According to Ryan Mac's reporting in the Times, the venture capitalist holds "hundreds of stakes" in AI and crypto companies while simultaneously crafting policies that directly benefit those same sectors. It's a web of conflicts that would typically trigger ethics investigations, but in Trump's White House, it's become Silicon Valley's secret weapon.
"You're seeing what happens when tech realizes that something is influenceable," Mac told The Verge's Tina Nguyen in an interview following the story's publication. That influence has already paid dividends. Sacks has successfully killed state-level AI regulation attempts, pushed through crypto-friendly legislation like the GENIUS Act, and helped craft an AI executive order that reads like a Silicon Valley wish list.
The industry's defensive posture isn't just about protecting Sacks - it's about protecting a pipeline of influence that took years to build. Unlike tech's previous political pariahs like Peter Thiel, who was ostracized for supporting Trump in 2016, Sacks has managed to maintain his standing in both Silicon Valley and MAGA circles. His podcast "All In" gives him cultural credibility, while his fundraising prowess - including a massive Trump event at his San Francisco home - bought him political access.
But the arrangement isn't without risks. Steve Bannon and other MAGA loyalists have repeatedly tried to purge tech billionaires from Trump's inner circle, successfully ousting figures like Jared Isaacman over past Democratic donations. Sacks survived similar scrutiny despite supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016 and initially backing Ron DeSantis in 2024's Republican primary.
