Sequoia partner spreads debunked Brown shooting theory, testing new leadership

Sequoia Capital Partner Under Fire for False Accusations

Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, has once again found himself in hot water after wrongly accusing a Palestinian student of being involved in the recent Brown University mass shooting and the subsequent murder of an MIT professor.

Maguire’s now-deleted posts on X speculated that the student was the likely perpetrator, citing Brown University’s removal of the student’s online presence as evidence. However, authorities later identified the actual shooter as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national who was found deceased in a New Hampshire storage facility. Brown University clarified that they removed the student’s digital footprint to prevent unfounded speculation.

Fast Company republished two of Maguire’s deleted posts, which is not the first time he has posted controversial content online. In the past, he made inflammatory comments that were not removed, including insinuating that the MIT professor was targeted for being Jewish. This incident follows a pattern of controversial posts targeting Muslims and pro-Palestine activists, with Maguire even referring to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as an “Islamist” in a previous post.

Questions now arise about whether Sequoia’s new leadership, Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who recently took over, will address Maguire’s behavior. The firm’s Chief Operating Officer, Sumaiya Balbale, left in August due to Sequoia’s inaction regarding Maguire’s anti-Muslim remarks. Former managing partner Roelof Botha defended Maguire’s actions, stating that Sequoia values partners’ freedom of speech.

Despite Maguire’s success in leading investments in defense tech and AI startups, including those connected to Elon Musk’s ventures, there are concerns about the repercussions of his outspokenness. Lin and Grady have not publicly commented on Maguire’s conduct since assuming leadership.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called for Maguire’s dismissal, condemning his baseless accusations as dangerous. JS has reached out to Sequoia Capital for a response.