Additional Coverage:
**Prominent Business Leaders Endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President**
In a significant show of support, 88 current and former executives from the business and tech sectors have come forward to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency. This endorsement, covered by CNBC, includes influential figures from a range of industries and varying levels of previous political involvement.
Among the noteworthy signatories are long-time Democratic contributors and first-time public supporters of Harris, such as James Murdoch, former CEO of 21st Century Fox, who notably distanced himself from his father with this endorsement. The concise letter, just five sentences long, emphasizes the belief that electing Harris would best ensure the “strength, security, and reliability” of both the nation’s democracy and economy. The executives commend her ongoing support for small businesses and her commitment to policies that promote stability and a sound business environment.
Significant figures in the business world have thrown their weight behind Harris, including Aaron Levie of Box, Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp, NBA legend Magic Johnson, and Ted Leonsis, owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics. New supporters such as Chris Larsen, cofounder of Ripple Labs, expressed their backing, with Larsen highlighting his confidence in Harris’s ability to correct what he views as overly anti-business policies from the Biden administration while maintaining a strong stance on energy transition. Larsen also mentioned a substantial $1 million cryptocurrency donation to Future Forward, a PAC supporting Harris.
Long-time Harris allies from her California political days, like philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz, are also prominent backers. The endorsement sees strong representation from both coasts, with Silicon Valley heavyweights like angel investor Ron Conway, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman joining forces with New York finance leaders, including former Blackstone President Tony James and ex-Goldman Sachs executive Bruce Heyman.
Several former executives from top companies, including PepsiCo, Paramount, Lyft, and Starbucks, are also among the endorsers. This broad-based business community backing comes as both Harris and former President Donald Trump vie for the pro-business candidate position leading up to an upcoming debate. Both candidates aim to attract financial and tech sector support with their economic agendas.
**Correction: September 6, 2024 — The earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Kamala Harris as a former vice president. She is the current US vice president.**
For more details, read the original article on Business Insider.