Portrait of Reid Hoffman
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Reid Hoffman on Lina Khan

Vocal opponent of FTC Chair (strong)

TL;DR

Reid Hoffman, a major Democratic donor, publicly called for the removal of Lina Khan as FTC Chair.

Key Points

  • Reid Hoffman asked the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, to replace Lina Khan if elected President.

  • He voiced this specific request in July 2024, following his pledge of financial support to the Harris campaign.

  • His criticism relates to the FTC's actions, including efforts against a major technology acquisition involving Microsoft, where he serves on the board.

Summary

Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and a significant Democratic megadonor, publicly expressed the wish for Kamala Harris to replace Lina Khan as the Federal Trade Commission Chair should she win the presidency. Hoffman accused the FTC Chair of waging war on American business, arguing that her actions were not helping the nation. This stance, which he claimed to offer in his capacity as an expert, was made shortly after announcing a substantial personal contribution to the Harris campaign, drawing scrutiny regarding the influence of major donors on political appointments.

His opposition is noted to coincide with the FTC’s scrutiny of a merger involving Microsoft, on whose board Hoffman sits, and another investigation involving an AI company he co-founded. While Hoffman is a prominent technology executive, other business figures have also voiced similar opposition to Khan’s aggressive antitrust enforcement, which targets large corporations and has focused on issues like merger blocking and banning noncompete clauses.

Key Quotes

“waging war” on American business

waging war” on business and “not helping America.”

... I've got to go in the next administration?

Frequently Asked Questions

Reid Hoffman is a vocal opponent of Lina Khan, the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission. The LinkedIn co-founder has publicly called for her replacement, alleging that she wages war on American business. Hoffman is a major political donor who expressed this desire in the context of the presidential election.

Yes, Reid Hoffman publicly asked Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Lina Khan as FTC Chair should she become president. He stated this request in an interview in July 2024. The request was noted because of Hoffman's significant financial support for the Democratic party.

Hoffman stated that he believes Lina Khan's actions as FTC Chair are detrimental to American business and the economy. His personal interests are also relevant, as the FTC has been scrutinizing transactions involving companies with which he is associated, such as Microsoft.

Sources10

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.