Roelof Botha Explains Why Sequoia Supports Shaun Maguire After Coo Quit

During an question and reply astatine TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 connected Monday, Sequoia Capital managing partner Roelof Botha defended his colleague, Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire, complete nan arguable comments Maguire made earlier this year, calling nan patient a believer successful his partner’s correct to “free speech.”

In a July 4 post connected X, Maguire attacked New York City mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani, calling nan leader an “Islamist” who “comes from a civilization that lies astir everything.” His remarks led to a sizable online backlash and debate astir nan reputational consequence to nan VC patient that has backed companies for illustration Airbnb, Google, Nvidia, and Stripe.

Shortly aft nan event, complete a 1000 founders and tech manufacture professionals signed an open letter urging Sequoia to return action and make it clear that “silence successful nan look of dislike has consequences.”

Last week, nan Financial Times reported that Sequoia’s main operating serviceman Sumaiya Balbale, a practicing Muslim, discontinue complete nan firm’s determination not to subject Maguire pursuing his remarks.

On stage, Botha declined to remark connected nan COO’s departure, saying only that he appreciated everything Balbale had contributed to nan firm.

However, erstwhile it came to Maguire, Botha based on that Sequoia has ever supported a diverseness of views. Botha noted that, for example, Sequoia VC Michael Moritz had been outspoken successful his guidance to President Trump, while erstwhile managing partner Doug Leone was a vocal Trump supporter.

“Internally, we observe diverseness of opinions, and we request ‘spiky’ group wrong Sequoia,” Botha, referring to Maguire, told TechCrunch editor-in-chief Connie Loizos connected stage.

The consequence was amazingly candid, fixed nan high-profile quality of nan remarks and nan imaginable to dissuage immoderate founders from moving pinch Sequoia.

“We really person a tremendous breadth of sentiment wrong our partnership, and we observe that immoderate group conscionable take to definitive it differently,” Botha continued.

“We person immoderate of our partners that are very progressive successful philanthropy aliases immoderate of nan backstage dealings, and they’re conscionable not arsenic vocal arsenic Shaun mightiness beryllium connected societal media. And we’ve ever honored nan correct to free reside of each of our individual partners,” said Botha.

He argued, too, that Maguire had a “specific profile” that appeals to a definite group of founders. Maguire, for instance, has heavy connections pinch Elon Musk’s companies, managing Sequoia’s investments successful Neuralink, SpaceX, The Boring Company, X and xAI. Botha said he’s besides attracting founders successful 1 of nan different presently basking industries too AI these days: defense tech. For lawsuit he’s backed autonomous weapons rising prima Mach Industries.

“He’s a physics PhD who dropped retired of precocious school,” Botha said, noting that Maguire was “very technical.”

Botha did, however, admit that Maguire’s marque of outspokenness isn’t wholly free from consequences. “So, does it travel pinch trade-offs? Yes, it does,” he said.