Know Your Donors Before You Call

Reid Hoffman is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-investor who co-founded LinkedIn, transitioned to high-impact venture investing at Greylock Partners, and since 2022 has been a visible founder-investor in AI ventures such as Inflection AI and Manas AI. His work stitches together a long-term thesis on network effects, blitzscaling, and the productive uses of artificial intelligence, while his public life combines bestselling books and podcasts, heavy philanthropy, and high-profile political giving.

Partner (senior investor) at Greylock Partners since 2009; co-founder and board director at Manas AI (launched January 2025) and Inflection AI; board director at Microsoft, Aurora, Joby Aviation, Nauto, and Entrepreneur First.

Greylock Partners

Seattle, Washington

Joined Greylock Partners in 2009; active investor and board director in portfolio companies through 2025.

Lead investments in consumer internet, enterprise software, and AI companies. Serve on boards of portfolio companies and provide strategic guidance to founders. Active in shaping technology policy and civic engagement initiatives.

B.S. in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science from Stanford University (1990), M.A. in Philosophy from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar (1993).

SOURCES

Reid Hoffman's career spans three decades at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in Symbolic Systems and earning his M.A. in Philosophy from Oxford as a Marshall Scholar, Hoffman joined Apple Computer in 1994 as a product manager. He then co-founded SocialNet.com in 1997, an early social networking site. In 1998, he joined PayPal as COO and later EVP, helping build it into a transformative payments company before its $1.5B acquisition by eBay in 2002. In 2002, Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn from his living room, serving as CEO until 2007 and Executive Chairman until Microsoft's acquisition in 2016. He joined Greylock Partners in 2009, where he has led investments in companies including Airbnb, Facebook, and many others.

As Partner at Greylock Partners, Hoffman focuses on investments in consumer internet, enterprise software, and increasingly AI-driven companies. He serves on the boards of several portfolio companies and Microsoft, where he brings his unique perspective as both an operator who built a company to massive scale and an investor who has backed dozens of successful startups. Hoffman is known for his 'systems thinking' approach to investing, looking for companies that can create network effects and platform dynamics. He remains actively involved in the tech ecosystem, hosting the podcast 'Masters of Scale' and frequently speaking about entrepreneurship, AI, and the future of work.

Hoffman's achievements span multiple domains. As an entrepreneur, he built LinkedIn into a platform that fundamentally changed professional networking and recruiting, creating billions of dollars in value. As an investor, his early bets on companies like Facebook and Airbnb generated exceptional returns for Greylock. As an author and thought leader, his books have sold millions of copies and shaped how a generation thinks about careers and entrepreneurship. He has been recognized with numerous honors including the David Packard Medal of Achievement from TechAmerica Foundation.

Hoffman's expertise lies at the intersection of network effects, platform strategy, and blitzscaling - the art of rapidly scaling companies in conditions of uncertainty. His background in philosophy informs his approach to complex systems and human behavior. He is particularly known for his thinking on professional identity, the future of work, and how technology can amplify human potential. More recently, he has become deeply involved in AI, both as an investor and through his work on AI safety and beneficial AI development.

SOURCES

Reid Hoffman was born on August 5, 1967, in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Berkeley. His father was a lawyer and his mother a real estate agent. From an early age, Hoffman showed intellectual curiosity and a passion for games and strategy - interests that would later inform his thinking about business and networks. He attended The Putney School in Vermont before enrolling at Stanford, where he studied Symbolic Systems, a program combining computer science, philosophy, linguistics, and psychology.

Hoffman married Michelle Yee in 2004. Yee—an academic and clinician with honors in linguistics from Stanford and a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco—has been an active philanthropic partner; together they donated $20 million to the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub in 2016 and joined the Giving Pledge in May 2018. Public reporting states the couple decided not to have children and that they primarily live in Seattle, Washington.

Hoffman embodies the Silicon Valley ethos of using technology to solve large-scale problems while maintaining intellectual depth uncommon in the business world. His philosophy background influences his systems-thinking approach, and he frequently references thinkers from Aristotle to modern game theorists. He bridges the worlds of academia and entrepreneurship, often collaborating with researchers on topics like AI ethics and the future of work.

Hoffman is an avid board game enthusiast, a passion that has informed his thinking about strategy, networks, and human behavior. He plays games ranging from chess to complex German-style board games and has noted how game theory principles apply to business and investing. He is also deeply interested in philosophy, science fiction, and the long-term trajectory of human civilization. His podcast 'Masters of Scale' combines these interests, featuring in-depth conversations about business, technology, and societal impact.

Hoffman is one of Silicon Valley's most active philanthropists and civic participants. He co-founded Philanthropy University, which provides free online courses to nonprofit leaders globally. He has donated tens of millions to causes including voter registration, immigration reform, and scientific research. He co-founded Civic Nation and has supported organizations fighting misinformation and protecting democratic institutions. His philanthropy focuses on 'systems change' - supporting initiatives that can have multiplicative impact.

Hoffman's educational background uniquely prepared him for his career. At Stanford, he studied Symbolic Systems, an interdisciplinary program that taught him to think about the intersection of technology and human cognition. He then won a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford, where he earned an M.A. in Philosophy, deepening his understanding of logic, ethics, and complex systems. This combination of technical and humanistic education informs his approach to both building and investing in companies.

Hoffman is arguably one of the best-networked people in Silicon Valley. He is part of the 'PayPal Mafia' alongside Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, and others. Through Greylock, he is connected to hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives. His board positions at Microsoft and other companies connect him to major corporate leaders. His political activism has built relationships with Democratic politicians and donors. This extensive network is itself a reflection of his philosophy that relationships and connections are fundamental to success.

SOURCES

Greylock Partners is a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm founded in 1965. The firm manages over $5 billion in capital and has invested in companies that have created more than $200 billion in market value. Greylock focuses on early-stage investments in enterprise software, consumer internet, and infrastructure companies. The firm has backed iconic companies including LinkedIn, Facebook, Airbnb, Dropbox, Discord, Figma, and many others. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Greylock takes a long-term, founder-friendly approach to venture capital.

Greylock manages over $5 billion in assets across multiple funds. The firm has generated strong returns for its limited partners through successful investments and exits, though specific fund performance is not publicly disclosed as a private partnership.

The venture capital industry is experiencing a transformation driven by AI. Greylock has been actively investing in AI companies and infrastructure, positioning itself for the next wave of technological change. The firm competes for deals in an environment where the best founders have significant choice in investors.

SOURCES

Hoffman is one of the most prominent thought leaders in technology and entrepreneurship. His podcast 'Masters of Scale' has featured hundreds of founders and leaders sharing insights on building companies. His books have shaped how people think about careers ('The Start-up of You'), organizational culture ('The Alliance'), and hypergrowth ('Blitzscaling'). He frequently writes and speaks about AI, the future of work, and technology's role in society.

Hoffman is widely respected as both a successful entrepreneur and investor who genuinely cares about using technology for positive impact. He is known for intellectual depth, generosity in sharing knowledge, and willingness to take public stands on political and social issues. Some in tech circles have noted tension between his progressive politics and investments in companies that may have complex social impacts, but he is generally seen as thoughtful about these tradeoffs.

Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-investor who co-founded LinkedIn, transitioned to high-impact venture investing at Greylock Partners, and since 2022 has been a visible founder-investor in AI ventures such as Inflection AI and Manas AI. His work stitches together a long-term thesis on network effects, blitzscaling, and the productive uses of artificial intelligence, while his public life combines bestselling books and podcasts, heavy philanthropy, and high-profile political giving.

Lead with democracy defense and tech-enabled campaign work—they've funded Project Democracy, State Democracy Defenders, and TECH FOR CAMPAIGNS. Open by describing your concrete wins using data/technology to protect close races and spotlight efforts to recruit/support women and Black candidates; that will land immediately as shared priorities.

Has consistently backed groups and candidates focused on protecting elections, electing mainstream Democrats, and building diverse slates—e.g., donations to DCCC/DSCC, Bob Casey (labor and healthcare-focused), Mary Peltola (Alaska/tribal and fisheries issues), and support for Kamala Harris' campaign. Also prioritizes tech-enabled campaigning and party infrastructure.

Reid communicates with intellectual depth and genuine curiosity. He values big-picture thinking about technology's role in society and responds well to discussions about systemic change, civic innovation, and entrepreneurial approaches to social challenges. He appreciates directness and data-driven arguments.