• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Silicon Valley Is Panicking About a Donald Trump Presidency

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 9, 2016, 12:41 AM ET
GOP Nominee Donald Trump Casts His Vote In The 2016 Presidential Election
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 8: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump departs after voting at the Beckman Hill International School in New York City. After a contentious campaign season, Americans go to the polls today to choose the next president of the United States. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)Aaron P. Bernstein—Getty Images

As the 2016 presidential election nears its close, Republican candidate Donald Trump’s claim on the White House is looking likelier and likelier.

With the notable exception of Peter Thiel, the contrarian billionaire investor and cofounder of PayPal (PYPL), Silicon Valley luminaries have mostly rallied behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whose odds look gloomier by the minute.

A number of leaders in the tech industry took to Twitter to lament the occasion on Tuesday night.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“i’d like to wake up now please,” commented Sam Altman, who heads the startup accelerator Y Combinator and who has endorsed Clinton. “i’ve never felt as alone in a room full of people as i do right now.”

i'd like to wake up now please

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 9, 2016

i've never felt as alone in a room full of people as i do right now

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 9, 2016

“Losing this election doesn’t mean giving up,” said Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator and a business partner of Altman.

Losing the election doesn't mean giving up.

— Paul Graham (@paulg) November 9, 2016

Chris Sacca, a prominent venture capitalist and Twitter (TWTR) investor, cited a quote often attributed to former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. “America will never be destroyed from the outside,” Sacca wrote. “If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. -Lincoln”

https://twitter.com/sacca/status/796201301214314496

Kimberly Bryant, founder of the non-profit organization Black Girls Code, posted a GIF of actor Nicholas Cage looking disraught. “Y’all I just don’t even know right now,” she said. “I need a cocktail. #ElectionNight“

Y'all I just don't even know right now. I need a cocktail. #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/fvKWKALdQN

— Kimberly Bryant (@6Gems) November 9, 2016

Nathan Jurgenson, a social media theorist at the messaging firm Snap (née Snapchat), speculated about how the current regime in the White House might be reacting to the news.

“how many american nuclear weapons can we disarm in a couple months,” Jurgenson wrote. “cant help but imaging the damage the supreme court is going to do over the next decade,” he added.

how many american nuclear weapons can we disarm in a couple months

— nathanjurgenson (@nathanjurgenson) November 9, 2016

“Is this what it felt like when people first realized hitler could actually take power?” asked Mark Pincus, the chairman and founder of gaming company Zynga.

https://twitter.com/markpinc/status/796182209140899841

Dennis Crowley, founder of the social app FourSquare, pointed to a comment made on Comedy Central’s satirical news program The Daily Show. “This is not the country I hoped it was – it is more divided, more sexist, more racist than I thought it was”

He added: “This sums up exactly how I feel right now. And my emotions are amplified by having a 6mo old daughter. And even tho it’s not over, I’m sad.”

This sums up exactly how I feel right now. And my emotions are amplified by having a 6mo old daughter. And even tho it's not over, I'm sad. https://t.co/KWOp9wMzAI

— Dennis Crowley 🇺🇸 // now on Threads @dens (@dens) November 9, 2016

Reshma Saujani, founder of CEO of non-profit organization Girls Who Code, offered some words of encouragement for the Clinton camp. “This is not over yet!!!! Don’t give up. We can do this! It was always going to be tight! #ElectionNight“

This is not over yet!!!! Don't give up. We can do this! It was always going to be tight! #ElectionNight

— Reshma Saujani (@reshmasaujani) November 9, 2016

Shervin Pishevar, cofounder of the venture capital firm Sherpa Capital and of the startup Hyperloop One, said that he would agitate for his state seceding from the union. “1/ If Trump wins I am announcing and funding a legitimate campaign for California to become its own nation,” he said.

https://twitter.com/shervin/status/796190968735289344

“Peter Thiel turned out not to be contrarian at all,” he added.

Peter Thiel turned out not to be contrarian at all.

— Shervin (@shervin) November 9, 2016

“We are drinking the expensive stuff,” said Stewart Butterfield, CEO of the messaging app Slack and cofounder of the photo-sharing site Flickr.

We are drinking the expensive stuff.

— Stewart Butterfield (@stewart) November 9, 2016

Arlan Hamilton, an investor at the firm Backstage Capital, wrote that”The American Dream has now become the American Nightmare.”

The American Dream has now become the American Nightmare.

— Arlan 👊🏾 (@ArlanWasHere) November 9, 2016

Update 11/9/16: This post has been updated to include more comments sourced from Twitter.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

gm
North AmericaAutos
GM just boosted its U.S. manufacturing spend to $6 billion in one year—and it may be returning to the idea that made it great
By Nick LichtenbergApril 30, 2026
6 hours ago
Premium card perks are ‘designed to create a win-win-win for everyone’ but customers are paying with heavy annual fees and data
Personal FinancePersonal Finance Evergreen
Premium card perks are ‘designed to create a win-win-win for everyone’ but customers are paying with heavy annual fees and data
By Catherina GioinoApril 30, 2026
7 hours ago
Girl reading in a library
SuccessEducation
Public schools in Texas banned cellphones. One district has already seen 200,000 more library books checked out
By Preston ForeApril 30, 2026
8 hours ago
Bill Perkins, founder of Skylar Capital
SuccessWealth
Multimillionaire hedge fund manager Bill Perkins says money should ‘drive your fulfillment while you’re alive’—so he’s spending it all before he dies
By Emma BurleighApril 30, 2026
8 hours ago
capuano
C-SuiteHospitality
Marriott CEO on why you have to defend both DEI and ICE’s right to a hotel room: Dictating values is a ‘bad place for the country’
By Nick LichtenbergApril 30, 2026
9 hours ago
AstraZeneca CFO Aradhana Sarin
BankingCFO Daily
How AstraZeneca’s 17,000 AI-certified employees are helping it reach a ‘stretch goal’ of $80 billion in revenue
By Sheryl EstradaApril 30, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
3 days ago
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
Big Tech
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
23 hours ago
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
Banking
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
By Eva RoytburgApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
Economy
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
By Eleanor PringleApril 29, 2026
2 days ago
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
Big Tech
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
By Jim EdwardsApril 30, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.