David Sacks: The controversial entrepreneur hosting Ron DeSantis 2024 event with Elon Musk
David Sacks, an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, will host Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an audio chat on Twitter Spaces on Wednesday (24 May) where Mr DeSantis is expected to announce his campaign for 2024 president. Mr Sacks, 50, is a longtime friend of Mr Musk and supporter of Mr DeSantis. Though Mr Sacks’ name is not as prominent as other tech-industry giants, the entrepreneur has a long history of leading and investing in major companies like PayPal, Yammer, Facebook, Airbnb and more. In more recent years, Mr Sacks has become a major donor to political campaigns for individual Republicans like JD Vance and Mr DeSantis. What experience does Mr Sacks have? Mr Sacks – who was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1972 and moved to Tennessee with his family as a child – was the Chief Operations Officer (COO) and head of product for PayPal from 1999 until 2002. He has been dubbed part of the “Paypal Mafia”, a group of former PayPal employees who went on to have successful tech companies- like Mr Musk. In 2008, he founded Yammer which became one of the fastest-growing software-as-a-service companies to exist. In 2012, Yammer was acquired by Microsft for $1.2 bn. Mr Sacks co-founded the venture capital firm Craft Ventures in 2017, where he remains a partner. He also has the podcast All-In alongside fellow entrepreneurs Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis and David Friedberg. Last year, Mr Sacks was widely reported to be helping out his longtime friend, Mr Musk, behind-the-scenes when his fellow South African-born friend acquired Twitter. What does Mr Sacks believe in? Like Mr Musk, Mr Sacks says he is a proponent of free speech. In a blog post on Medium in 2021, Mr Sacks criticised big tech social media platforms for permanently banning politicians. His belief in free-speech was echoed more recently in an interview with conservative personality Benny Johnson. Mr Sacks accused the media of not allowing anti-vaccine activists and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr to speak freely and questioned critics’ justification of saying Mr Kennedy was spreading misinformation. The entrepreneur also expressed support for Tucker Carlson after he was unexpectedly fired from Fox News. Mr Sacks has also been an outspoken critic of US policy towards Ukraine following the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. In a piece for The American Conservative last year, Mr Sacks proposed a peaceful end to the war which included holding referendums on the future of Donbas and Crimea, both of which were illegally occupied by Russian forces in 2014. On Twitter, Mr Sacks is vocal in criticising the US for its involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and has repeatedly clashed with critics of Vladimir Putin, including former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. In October Mr Musk retweeted an article Mr Sacks wrote for Newsweek in which he argued that continued military support for Ukraine could lead to “Woke War III”. The article itself was a response to the backlash Mr Musk received over a Twitter poll suggesting a peace deal which would strongly favour Russian interests. In his Newsweek article, Mr Sacks wrote: “There will be no peaceful resolution to this conflict that America doesn’t at least have a hand in negotiating, and we should be leading the effort. Instead, we’ve been deferring to the Ukrainians and their maximalist demands, upping the sanctions on Russia as Putin ups his rhetoric against the West.” While he has been criticised for his outspoken views despite lacking a foreign policy background, he has argued that his lack of expertise is actually an advantage: “Not being a member of the MIC [military industrial complex] is clearly an advantage in understanding the conflict.” What political candidates has Mr Sacks supported? Since the 1990s, Mr Sacks has supported both Republican and Democratic candidates according to OpenSecrets. His largest donations have gone toward the PAC supporting GOP Ohio Senator JD Vance, the conservative Purple Good Government PAC, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Republican National Committee. Over the last two years, Mr Sacks has expressed vocal support for Mr DeSantis on Fox News and Twitter as well as donated to his political campaign. Read More Ron DeSantis to launch 2024 presidential bid on Twitter with Elon Musk Can the chaos from Silicon Valley Bank's fall be contained? Casey DeSantis gives cheeky response to reports husband is launching 2024 campaign The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
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Ukraine war: US distances itself from Belgorod incursion into Russia
Washington says it does not encourage strikes in Russia, after a border attack.
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Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott replacement could be a retired all-time great
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'We need Camila Cabello back': Internet demands 'Havana' singer's return as she appears in 'The Voice' 2023 Finale
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'RHONJ' star Gia Giudice claims 'it's over' with Joe and Melissa Gorga after they skip Teresa's wedding
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$300 million later, Trea Turner knows he's been a bust for Phillies
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IRS whistleblower says tensions flared in meeting between prosecutors and investigators over Hunter Biden
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Montana first to ban people dressed in drag from reading to children in schools, libraries
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1970-01-01 08:00
Gisele Bündchen auctions off dress for $48k at charity gala
A Stella McCartney gown previously worn by Gisele Bundchen has sold for a whopping $48,000 at the supermodel’s annual charity gala. On 20 May, Bündchen attended the Luz Alliance Gala in Miami to benefit the Brazil Foundation. The Brazilian model wore the Stella McCartney dress to the event before auctioning it off her back, ultimately raising a reported $1m in humanitarian pandemic relief to families in Brazil. The white gown, which featured a one-shoulder sleeve and swooping neckline, was previously worn by Bündchen at the Hollywood for Science Gala in 2019. Four years later, it appeared that the former Victoria’s Secret Angel had reworked the dress by removing the long cape that fell from the sleeve on one side. Her stylist, Evet Sanchez, said on Instagram that Bündchen removed the cape to give the dress a “fresh” look. She styled the sustainable white gown with a matching ivory clutch, green heels, and emerald-and-diamond earrings. Taking to Instagram, the mother of two shared her praise for those who attended the event and donated to the Luz Alliance Fund – which Bündchen founded in 2020 to support environmental conservation and rehabilitation projects in Brazil. “I used to think how can I make a difference?” she captioned the post, which included photos from the charity gala. “I am just one person in this enormous world and there is just too much to do, but early on I understood that to amplify change it is essential to join forces and that through dedication and collaboration, everything is possible.” “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who was at the Luz Alliance Gala yesterday, helping us to support nature,” she continued. “Together we were able to raise funds that will help so many people and projects in Brazil.” Bündchen added, “As Desmond Tutu said: ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.’” During the event, Gisele Bündchen also made a rare red carpet appearance with her fraternal twin sister, Patricia. Speaking to People, she thanked her sister for the work she’s done with the Brazil Foundation and expressed how happy she was to attend the gala with her. “This was my first gala and couldn’t have done it without my sister Pati who worked diligently with the Brazil Foundation to organise this special evening,” Bündchen said. “It was very special to have her here tonight. She worked so hard to organise this event as she does every day.” The model went on to describe her close relationship with her twin sister, adding: “I know she’s got my back like I got hers. We trust each other and we always want the best for one another and that is priceless.” Bündchen, who announced her divorce from NFL star Tom Brady last year, also reflected on how much her family means to her. In addition to Patricia, she has four other sisters: Rafaela, Graziela, Gabriela, and Raquel. “My family is everything to me and my sisters are my best friends even if sometimes we disagree,” she shared. “Family is what gives us our foundation, they are our greatest teachers, and they help us become who we are.” Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady, who finalised their divorce in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage, share a 12-year-old son, Benjamin, and nine-year-old daughter, Vivian. Read More Gisele Bündchen makes rare appearance with twin sister Patricia Gisele Bündchen poses solo on Met Gala red carpet following Tom Brady divorce Tom Brady pays tribute to exes Gisele Bündchen and Bridget Moynahan on Mothers’ Day Julia Louis-Dreyfus reveals Princess Diana inspired her wedding dress Bridal suits: The best tailored looks for brides who don’t want to wear a dress Elle Fanning wows fans with daring cut-out dress at Cannes: ‘My nips could never’
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'MasterChef' Season 13 Full Cast List: From Gordon Ramsay to Aaron Sanchez, here are the stars
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Real Valladolid 3-1 Barcelona: Player ratings as woeful Blaugrana slump to defeat
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'Huge backlash': Parties ramp up pressure on Biden and McCarthy to hold the line in debt talks
Last week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus posed a formal ask to its members: were there any proposals they could accept included in the list of GOP demands in exchange for raising the debt ceiling?
1970-01-01 08:00
