Sequoia COO quit over Shaun Maguire's comments about Mamdani

Accessing the article / meta-discussion

• Several commenters complain about the FT paywall and cookie wall; archive links are shared so others can read the article.
• Some grumble that posting a paywalled link without context is bad form, though others note the archive link was quickly provided.
• There is mention of downvote wars on this story and frustration with HN moderation dynamics.

Nature of Maguire’s comments

• Commenters summarize his post about Zohran Mamdani: claiming he “comes from a culture that lies about everything” and that lying is a “virtue” in service of an “Islamist agenda.”
• Many describe this as racist, Islamophobic, xenophobic, and dehumanizing toward a broad group, not just a political movement.
• Some note he doubled down and issued vaguely threatening replies to critics.
• There’s side discussion on distinctions between Islam, Islamism, “culture,” and whether Maguire is intentionally conflating them.

Free speech vs consequences / professionalism

• One camp argues Sequoia hiding behind “free speech” is cowardly; they see firing or at least sanctioning him as appropriate, and view the COO’s resignation as principled.
• Another camp stresses traditional “professionalism”: being able to work with people whose private opinions you dislike, and seeing quitting over opinions as immature.
• Counter-argument: public Twitter posts tied to a powerful role aren’t “private life,” and colleagues shouldn’t be expected to work with someone who openly denigrates them.

Impact on Sequoia and LPs

• Some say the COO role is operational, not an investing partner, so her exit may be symbolically important but financially minor.
• Others highlight potential damage with Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds that back Sequoia, though some argue US endowments and other LPs would easily fill any gap, especially with an evergreen structure.
• One commenter speculates Maguire’s provocation is a deliberate branding/“deal flow” strategy; others ridicule this as tech/VC hero-worship and note he could simply be “a lucky idiot.”

Broader tech/finance and cultural themes

• Multiple comments link this to a broader “rot”: ultra-rich/VC figures acting as “Übermensch” or “edgelords,” feeling untouchable and using platforms for inflammatory politics.
• Disappointment is expressed that tech/VC, once perceived as relatively tolerant, now seems more openly aligned with hard-right politics and culture-war rhetoric.
• There’s debate over what “tolerance” means: supporting marginalized groups vs. also tolerating people with offensive views.
• Islamophobia is compared to earlier forms of religious bigotry, with the claim it currently carries fewer social costs and more political benefits.