- 88 current and former executives from the business and tech worlds signed a letter endorsing Harris.
- Signatories span industries and political engagement, from veteran Harris allies to new supporters.
- The support comes as Harris and Trump both try to present themselves as the pro-business candidate.
Dozens of prominent Wall Street and tech executives combined forces on Friday morning to support Kamala Harris’ bid for the White House. Eighty-eight top executives signed a joint letter endorsing the vice president, CNBC reported.
The signatories span a wide range of political engagement, from longtime Democratic donors to those issuing their first public endorsement of Harris. James Murdoch, the former CEO of 21st Century Fox, broke even further away from his father and added his name to the list.
Though the list of signatories is lengthy, the letter itself is a mere five sentences. Electing Harris is, the executives write, “the best way to support the continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy.” They celebrate her record supporting small businesses and assert that she would “continue to advance fair and predictable policies that support the rule of law, stability, and a sound business environment.”
Current executives include Aaron Levie of Box and Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp, as well as big names in the sports world. NBA Hall-of-Famer and billionaire Magic Johnson signed on, as well as Ted Leonsis, who owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Mystics.
Some signatories, like Murdoch and Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, are declaring their support for Harris for the first time.
"Proud to support the Harris campaign — she's the right leader for our fast-changing world. And I'm confident that she will reset the misguided Biden policies that were too anti-business and anti-innovation," Larsen told Business Insider in a statement. "At the same time, I'm confident she will maintain Biden's strong leadership on our energy transition."
Larsen also said that he recently made a $1 million donation in crypto to Future Forward, a PAC supporting Harris.
Other signatories have long rallied behind the vice president. Many know her from her days in California politics, reflecting the ways in which Harris is relying on her home state for support, financial and otherwise. The veteran Harris supporters include philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.
Both coasts are well represented, with executives from Silicon Valley and Wall Street alike joining the effort. Angel investor Ron Conway, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman are among the biggest West Coast names, while former Blackstone President and CEO Tony James and former Goldman Sachs executive Bruce Heyman hail from the world of New York finance.
Former executives at various prominent companies — including PepsiCo, Paramount, Lyft, and Starbucks — also signed on to endorse Harris.
The support from the business community comes at a crucial time, as both Harris and Trump are laying out their economic agendas ahead of Tuesday's debate. Each candidate is presenting themselves as the pro-business option while attempting to woo the financial and tech sectors.
