Ron Conway resigns from Salesforce board over Benioff Trump support

Tech billionaire Marc Benioff is facing criticism over his support of President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops in San Francisco.

Ron Conway, a longtime Democratic donor and Salesforce Foundation board member, resigned from his position at Benioff last week. Conway announced his resignation in an email directly to Salesforce CEO Benioff.

“I am deeply saddened to say that with your recent comments, and the failure to understand their impact, I now barely recognize the person I have long admired,” Conway wrote to Benioff, according to a copy of the email obtained by the San Francisco Standard.

Conway’s letter continued: “I have expressed frankly to you, repeatedly, in recent days, my shock and disappointment at your comments calling for an unwanted invasion of San Francisco by federal forces, and at your willful ignorance and detachment about the effects of ICE’s immigration raids on families with no criminal record, and efforts to rig elections,” Conway’s letter continued. Attacks on freedom of expression, and other illegal policies.”

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A Salesforce spokesperson thanked Conway for his time on the board but did not address the discussion in a statement.

“We have deep gratitude for Ron Conway and his incredible contributions to the Salesforce Foundation Board for more than a decade,” the spokesperson told the Standard.

Salesforce Chairman and CEO Mark R. Benioff at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, on January 18, 2024. (Reuters/Denis Balibous/Reuters Photos)

Benioff revealed his support for Trump’s deployment of troops in an interview with The New York Times earlier this month.

“We don’t have enough police, so if… [the National Guard] “They could be cops, I’m all for that,” Benioff said.

He added: “I fully support the president.” “I think he’s doing a great job.”

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Benioff shocked many in Silicon Valley by supporting President Trump’s plan to crack down on crime. (Nathan Lin/Bloomberg via Getty Images | David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Benioff’s comments came a week before the annual Dreamforce conference San Francisco. He has complained to the Times that he has to pay out of pocket for off-duty police officers to beef up security in the convention area every year.

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However, Trump’s friendly words represent a radical change of face for the California billionaire, after he spent decades transferring tens of millions of dollars. Towards leftist activist groups.