Google founder backs both Republican and Democrat in California governor’s race while ex-CEO fights billionaire tax

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Dara KerrMarch 11, 2026 at 11:05 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Tech billionaires are heavily investing in California politics, particularly in the governor's race and the proposed Billionaire Tax Act. Campaign finance disclosures reveal significant contributions from current and former executives at Google, DoorDash, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Google co-founder Sergey Brin is donating to both Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Matt Mahan in the gubernatorial race, while former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is contributing against the Billionaire Tax Act, which aims to fund education, food assistance, and healthcare programs. Brin, who relocated to Nevada, donated millions to committees fighting the tax proposal. Silicon Valley's increased political involvement comes as the state considers policies impacting the wealthy.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Rachel Whetstone 30% Donald Trump 40% Steve Hilton ×250% Republican Party 50% Democratic Party 50% Billionaire Tax Act ×260% Matt Mahan ×360% Silicon Valley ×360% Google ×370% Eric Schmidt ×270% California ×580% Sergey Brin ×790%

Keywords

billionaire tax 90% silicon valley 80% california governor's race 80% political donations 70% campaign finance 70% tech billionaires 70% sergey brin 60% republican and democratic candidates 50% eric schmidt 50% matt mahan 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

California

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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billionaire tax silicon valley california governor's race political donations campaign finance tech billionaires sergey brin republican and democratic candidates eric schmidt matt mahan

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