Ron Conway Quits Salesforce Charity Over CEO's Trump Support

Ron Conway, a big-name venture capitalist who's backed hits like Google and Facebook, has quit the board of the Salesforce Foundation.

The reason? He's upset with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's recent praise for President Donald Trump, ending a friendship that's lasted 25 years.

Conway, who's 83 and runs SV Angel, emailed Benioff on Thursday saying he barely recognizes his old friend anymore because of those comments.

The two used to team up on liberal causes, but Benioff's interview last week changed everything.

He told that he fully backs Trump and wants the National Guard to patrol San Francisco streets to fight crime.

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This happened right during Salesforce's huge Dreamforce event in the city, surprising even Benioff's own team. He also cheered Elon Musk's ideas on government cuts and said he owns Time magazine but hasn't followed Trump's attacks on media or immigration issues closely.

The Salesforce Foundation helps kids with education and jobs, giving out $36 million last year and holding $400 million in assets. A company spokesperson thanked Conway for his 10+ years of service but kept quiet on details.

This drama shows how politics is splitting Silicon Valley. Many tech leaders once leaned left, but now some, like Benioff and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, are shifting to Trump over frustrations with rules and city problems. Experts say it could hurt trust in company charities that need support from all sides.

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Conway and Benioff haven't commented further. As the conference ends, Salesforce faces tough questions about its future in giving back, with this resignation highlighting a real divide in the industry.