Is Billionaire Marc Benioff Moving to the Right?

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has a reputation as a progressive, San Francisco billionaire one that he has earned by being pretty reliably left-wing on social issues. So some people are surprised by how positive he has been about the incoming Trump administration. For instance:

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There are other signs that, like the rest of the country, Benioff is moving right:

Amid dozens of posts about Salesforce’s new Agentforce platform, Benioff has positioned himself and his interests within the MAGA orbit, praising President-elect Donald Trump’s associates like Musk and Marc Andreessen, and touting Lex Fridman’s interview with Argentinian president Javier Milei, a right-wing populist and social conservative derided by the left and idolized by the Trumpian right.

Here's his tweet about Milei:


So is Benioff genuinely changing or is he just reading the room? Outside observers are split on that one. On the one hand...

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And on the other hand...


It reads:

He helped to ruin SF, feeding the homeless-industrial complex instead of condemning it (that would put him in leftists’ cross-hairs, which takes moral courage: which he has not). He also funded crony prop C that taxes revenue, not profit; he’s smart enough to know that’s totally unethical (but hurts other companies more than his).

He now sees which way power is going, but until he apologizes, fires radicals, and cleans up his own mess, should be kept far away from this admin @elonmusk

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Today the SF Chronicle published an interview with Benioff about his apparent change of heart:

In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, Benioff defended his post-election public statements, which have included fawning social media messages adorned with American flags and heart emojis.

“I feel that when we elect a new politician we have to absolutely support them — this is our president now,” he told the Chronicle in an hourlong phone interview. “This is a moment where we are turning the page. … It’s an opportunity for a new chapter.”

His hope: Trump is a successful president and that “we continue to be great leaders in the world.” He said, “I think it’s only appropriate to want our president to be successful.”

That makes complete sense. It's also not how progressives usually operate. Maybe that's why SF progressives are shocked one of their own could talk this way about Trump and Musk. They are convinced it's all a ruse.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen, one of San Francisco’s most progressive lawmakers, was taken aback by Benioff’s comments about Trump and Musk. Ronen said she had long been “a big fan” of Benioff because of his willingness to pay his fair share of taxes to address inequality.

“I’ve always respected Marc Benioff as a really smart and ethical person,” Ronen said. “I’m really disappointed. What has changed for him? Because let me tell you, nothing has changed for me.”...

Mark Buell, a prominent Democratic Party donor from San Francisco, said Benioff’s public statements were likely strategic moves reflecting “the realities of doing business.” Buell doesn’t know the Salesforce chief personally, he said, but Benioff has always struck him as being a “decent guy who wants to support the improvement of his hometown.”

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We'll see how long the love fest lasts. My guess is that Benioff will jump back to his actual beliefs in a few months and he'll claim he really gave Trump a chance when he turns. But I guess we'll see.

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