An Open Letter to Sequoia Capital on the conduct of their partner Shaun Maguire

On the 9th of July 2025, we published the open letter below calling on Sequoia to take a clear and public stance on the repeated Muslim-hate rhetoric of their partner Shuan Maguire.

Over 1,000 founders and supporters from across the global tech ecosystem have signed the letter, including many backed by the world's best investors. The letter was covered by every major U.S. publication, and shared directly with Sequoia’s leadership.

Despite the scale of this response and repeated outreach from journalists, Sequoia has chosen not to respond, neither to us nor to the press. Their silence speaks for itself.

The fact that the most influential VC firm in our industry is unwilling to publicly reject hate and quietly allow it to persist within its leadership speaks volumes.

In light of Sequoia’s refusal to engage, and living by the very essence that makes us some of the world's most tenacious founders, our next steps are:

To reach out to a number of Sequoia’s Limited Partners, share this letter, and make it clear that silence in the face of hate has consequences
To ask all founders from every corner of the planet to stand against Muslim-hate, refuse to take funding from Sequoia, and to make their values clear when choosing investors

If we, the global technology industry are serious about building a more inclusive future, it starts with holding power accountable.

To the Leadership of Sequoia Capital,

We, the undersigned global founders from across the tech industry, are writing to demand immediate and decisive action in response to the unacceptable conduct of your partner, Shaun Maguire. His recent post on X on July 4, 2025, along with a documented pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric over the past two years, has caused significant harm to the global tech community.

On July 4, Maguire posted on X:

Mamdani comes from a culture that lies about everything

It’s literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda

The West will learn this lesson the hard way pic.twitter.com/8maDAikKT5
— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) July 4, 2025

This was not a misstep. It was a deliberate, inflammatory attack that promotes dangerous anti-Muslim stereotypes and stokes division. That it has since been viewed over 4 million times only underscores the scale of harm. More importantly, it reflects a sustained pattern of public behavior that shows clear contempt for the principles of inclusion, equity and respect.

As founders building the future of technology, we cannot accept leadership from a firm whose partners engage in hate speech and spread bigotry. Maguire’s conduct not only tarnishes Sequoia’s reputation, it also undermines your ability to serve a global, diverse founder ecosystem.

To address this breach of trust and prevent further harm, we demand the following actions from Sequoia Capital:

Immediate Public Condemnation & Apology

Issue a statement unequivocally denouncing Maguire’s remarks as hate speech and anti‑Muslim bigotry.
Apologize directly to Zohran Mamdani, to the wider Muslim founder community and to anyone else harmed by these comments.

Internal Disciplinary Action

Commission an independent investigation into Maguire’s conduct over the past two years.
Publicly disclose the investigation’s findings and specify the disciplinary measures, up to and including removal from client‑facing duties or partnership.

Binding Anti‑Discrimination Policy

Publish a zero‑tolerance policy on hate speech and religious bigotry.
Ensure “religion” is explicitly included as a protected characteristic in your code of conduct, with clear, enforceable consequences for violations.

Founder Safeguards & Reporting Mechanism

Establish an independent “Founders’ Ombudsperson” or hotline, staffed by third‑party specialists, where any founder can confidentially report discrimination or hate speech by Sequoia personnel.
Guarantee zero retaliation and full confidentiality for all reports.

Anything short of these measures signals tacit acceptance of anti-Muslim hate and racism. As the leading venture firm that shapes the future of technology and entrepreneurship globally, Sequoia’s response will define whether you stand on the side of inclusion or on the side of complicity.

We request a formal public response by July 14, 2025, outlining your plan to implement these demands. Should Sequoia fail to act decisively, we will proceed with broader public disclosure, media outreach and mobilizing our networks to ensure accountability.

Respectfully,

The undersigned

An Open Letter to the Leadership of
Sequoia Capital

Immediate Public Condemnation & Apology

Internal Disciplinary Action

Binding Anti‑Discrimination Policy

Founder Safeguards & Reporting Mechanism

Signed by

Supported by