Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire is again drawing scrutiny after falsely accusing a Palestinian student of involvement in the December 13 Brown University mass shooting and the subsequent killing of an MIT professor, prompting renewed questions about how the firm’s leadership handles partners’ public conduct.
Deleted Posts And Incorrect Claims
In posts later deleted from X, Maguire suggested it was “very likely” that a Palestinian student was responsible, citing what he described as Brown University “actively scrubbing” the student’s online presence. Authorities later identified the shooter as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national. Valente was subsequently found dead in a storage facility in New Hampshire.
Brown officials said the student’s digital footprint was removed as a protective step amid escalating speculation, not because of any connection to the crime.
Publication And Prior Controversies
Fast Company republished two of Maguire’s deleted posts on Friday. The outlet noted that Maguire has previously left inflammatory statements online, including comments proposing that the MIT professor was targeted for being Jewish.
The incident follows months of controversy tied to Maguire’s posts about Muslims and pro-Palestine activists. In July, he labeled New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani an “Islamist,” triggering a backlash that led nearly 1,200 founders and tech workers to sign an open letter urging Sequoia to respond. A separate open letter was later published in support of Maguire.
Leadership Transition And Internal Tensions
The latest episode arrives as Sequoia operates under new leadership. Managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady took over last month and have not publicly addressed Maguire’s conduct.
Earlier reporting by the Financial Times said Sequoia’s chief operating officer, Sumaiya Balbale, left the firm in August over its response to Maguire’s anti-Muslim comments. Former managing partner Roelof Botha, who stepped down in November, defended Maguire during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt in October, saying the firm supports partners’ right to free speech.
Botha said Sequoia values a range of viewpoints and described Maguire as having a “specific profile” that resonates with certain founders, while acknowledging that his outspokenness brings trade-offs.
Investment Profile And Industry Response
Maguire has led investments in defense technology and AI startups and is reported to have close ties to companies associated with Elon Musk, overseeing Sequoia investments in Neuralink, SpaceX, The Boring Company, X, and xAI.
Civil rights groups have responded forcefully. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for Maguire’s firing, telling Fast Company that the accusations were “deeply irresponsible and incredibly dangerous.”
Featured image credits: Flickr
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