Tech Billionaires Contribute Substantial Funds to California Elections

Tech billionaires have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars ahead of the June 2 primary election in California, aiming to influence political outcomes in the state. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has spent $66 million since January to oppose a billionaire tax that will be on the November ballot. Other contributions include significant donations from executives at companies such as Google, Amazon, and Snap to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan. Additionally, Chris Larsen, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, has funded three Super PACs with $26 million to support various campaigns in California. Google and Meta have also combined efforts to fund a Super PAC with $10 million for local assembly and senate candidates. The financial involvement of Silicon Valley extends to both city and state-level primaries, with tech-backed PACs also providing voter guides for local tax measures.