Marc Andreessen, co-founder and general partner of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, recently went to war with universities. In particular, he slammed Stanford and MIT for their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. This proclamation came out of one of these sessions, which featured as speakers both AI scientists and members of the Trump administration. Screenshots of this private conversation taken by Andreessen were made public by the Washington Post, including their clearly stated intent to shape what these policies mean.
The sharp criticism was delivered on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at the Fortune Global Forum that took place this year in San Francisco. This unique forum convenes decision makers from the world’s foremost Global 500 enterprises. This year’s class includes innovators and technologists from powerful, vibrant tech hubs like Nairobi, Mexico City, and Kuala Lumpur. These remarks have ignited a firestorm of discussion, debate, and outrage about the purpose of our higher education institutions in setting and manifesting societal values.
In the group chat, Andreessen expressed that universities have “declared war on 70% of the country and now they’re going to pay the price.” His statement is an illustration of an increasing sentiment among all communities. They argue that schools and universities are marginalizing conservative voices through their DEI programs. He characterized these universities as “mainly political lobbying operations fighting American innovation.”
These comments come in the context of Andreessen’s political affiliations. Both he and his business partner Ben Horowitz supported Donald Trump’s campaign efforts to return to the White House. Their ties to the Trump administration placed them in a uniquely powerful position. They are now taking the lead in shaping discussions on key technology, innovation, and education reform policy.
Andreessen’s comments echo some of the most strident criticism that have so far emanated from the broader tech community. Shaun Maguire commented on this sentiment, stating that universities “come from a culture that lies about everything,” suggesting a disconnect between educational institutions and the broader societal landscape.
Andreessen joins hands with Trump administration officials to destroy our academic institutions. This alignment reflects the deepening rift between many of our nation’s technology leaders on the role of education in fostering a world-leading innovation sector. If his statements are successfully weaponized against current debates about DEI policies in academia, they could influence how these types of policies are perceived in American society writ large.
