Meg Whitman will become the latest Silicon Valley star to draw a paycheck from VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as first reported earlier today by Fortune’s Pattie Sellers. But the former eBay boss wasn’t always the darling of those based at 2750 Sand Hill Road.
When Whitman ran for governor of California last year on the GOP ticket, Kleiner Perkins partners donated more money to her victorious opponent, Democrat Jerry Brown.
According to the California Secretary of State’s website, active Kleiner partners donated just $45,900 to Whitman’s campaign during 2009 and 2010. They donated $61,800 to Brown during the same period. And that includes $20k for Whitman from Mary Meeker, who officially joined Kleiner after the election was over.
If you add donations from retired Kleiner partners and partner spouses, it evens up a bit to $98,200 vs. $108,900 — but still in Brown’s favor. Here’s how it broke out:
Whitman donations
- Ray Lane: $25,900
- Mary Meeker: $20,000
- Juliet de Baubigny: $500
- Floyd Kvamme (partner emeritus): $20,000
- Shawn Byers (wife of KP partner Brook Byers): $51,800
Brown donations
- John Doerr: $10,000
- Brook Byers: $51,800
- Tom Perkins (partner emeritus): $24,500
- Frank Caufield (partner emeritus): $10,000
- Ann Doerr (wife of John): $10,000