Overview

• On July 4, Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire posted on X that NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani “comes from a culture that lies about everything” and is advancing an “Islamist agenda,” a post that has drawn over 5.3 million views.
• Nearly 600 founders and tech leaders have signed a letter urging Sequoia to condemn Maguire’s comments, apologize to Mamdani and Muslim founders, launch an independent investigation, and adopt a zero-tolerance hate-speech policy.
• Maguire has refused to retract his statements and posted a defiant message asserting that efforts to silence him will only “embolden” his views.
• More than 355 investors and entrepreneurs, including former PayPal president David Marcus and Lux Capital founder Josh Wolfe, have backed Maguire in a counter-letter arguing his remarks reflect principled political expression, not hate speech.
• Sequoia Capital has declined to comment publicly, leaving the venture community awaiting the firm’s response as the July 14 deadline approaches.