Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya revealed on his 50th birthday that President Donald Trump sent him a personal birthday letter after his son, Braden, requested it following his summer internship at the White House.
A 50th Birthday, With a White House Surprise
“I got a birthday letter from the big man,” Palihapitiya said in a recent episode of the All-In podcast. “If you would ask my parents, 50 years later, you’re going to have a kid that gets a letter from the then-sitting President of the United States, they would have thought absolutely not possible.”
Palihapitiya said his son, who interned at the White House over the summer, used “political capital” built during the internship to secure the letter.
“Obviously I want to thank POTUS for sending me the letter, but I really want to thank my son,” he said.
In this episode, Palihapitiya was joined by internet entrepreneur and angel investor Jason Calacanis, co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology David Sacks, and entrepreneur and investor David Friedberg.
When Palihapitiya shared about the letter, Sacks called it impressive, saying “it takes time out of the president’s schedule to sign things.”
A Once-Democratic Donor Turned Trump Ally
The birthday letter caps a years-long political shift for Palihapitiya, a former Democratic donor who co-hosted a Trump fundraiser in San Francisco in June 2024 alongside Sacks, with VIP tickets starting at $50,000 and a $300,000 host-committee tier. At a later $300,000-per-person dinner, Palihapitiya was among the guests as Trump polled attendees on his choice of running mate, with Palihapitiya and Sacks backing now-Vice President JD Vance.
Palihapitiya donated $750,000 to Democrats in June 2020 to protest Trump’s actions in office. By September 2024, he told Joe Rogan that the media was “really tilted” against Trump and said he found Trump more approachable in person than he had expected.
In July, the Sri Lankan-born venture capitalist told CNBC he had been “totally wrong” about Trump, calling him “fantastic” after meeting him.
In recent times, Palihapitiya has been a vocal supporter of the president’s tech and economic policies.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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