SAN FRANCISCO — Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn and a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist, has made a half-dozen or so investments in recent months with a specific aim: to counteract the influence of President Trump.
The venture-style investments include starting a new group, Win the Future, whose self-described goal is to make the Democratic Party relevant again. He also invested $1 million in Cortico, a start-up that encourages online discourse between people with opposing political views. And he invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into Vote.org, which has a goal of getting all eligible Americans to vote; Higher Ground Labs, a start-up for progressive politicians; and the Center on Rural Innovation, which is working for economic improvements in rural areas.
“My approach to political investing is the Silicon Valley approach,” Mr. Hoffman, 50, said in an interview. “Find and back powerful entrepreneurs.”
Mr. Hoffman has emerged as Silicon Valley’s prime behind-the-scenes political influencer. A Democrat with a net worth of more than $3 billion, he has spread his cash this year by financing groups that want to restore dialogue and inclusion to politics. The moves put him at the vanguard of a political awakening of technology leaders, who are emerging as a potential West Coast power center that could help invigorate Mr. Trump’s opponents.
