Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan launches dark-money group to influence California politics

Submitted ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Beep@lemmus.org⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/sf-garry-tan-california-politics-garrys-list/

Tan, the CEO of the vaunted startup incubator Y Combinator, announced Wednesday he had spun up a dark-money group called “Garry’s List” that he described as a “voter education group” that is “dedicated to civic engagement, voter education and support for common-sense policies and candidates” in a press release. Such groups give donors a way to anonymously support causes without giving directly to a candidate or a measure.

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wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz ⁨29⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago

announced Wednesday he had spun up a dark-money group

That’s the state of american politics, that people just “announce” that they’re starting a dark-money group to influence public policy…

Like, didn’t dark money used to be a dirty secret? It wasn’t even that long ago. Crazy…

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SinningStromgald@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

But the operation is also a media venture: Garry’s List started with a blog pillorying public-sector unions as “special interests,” attacking the ongoing teachers’ strike, and denouncing the proposed billionaire tax.

That’s all I need to know this guy is a piece of shit.

For years, Tan has called on tech executives to create “parallel” media and “replace the unelected parts of the system,” like unions and nonprofits. “We need our own machine,” he said in 2023.

Sorry, I meant a really really really really really BIG big piece of shit.

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- paraphrand@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  He also talks about the current Twitter being parallel media. And how that’s a good thing for furthering his agenda of tech ceos taking control of society.
  
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chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Another well balanced individual throwing money around to change the world to the way they see fit. Surely this will lead to a beautiful utopia this time.

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- MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This is the 2nd time I read a piece on Y Combinator.
  
  First one was about a brother team that was “accepted” into the incubator for their company.
  
  They make war drones. Lovely.
  
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panda_abyss@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
All this corporate lobbying and bribes says there’s more money in corruption than innovation and competition.

Its how you know your democracy is dead and your economy is a zombie.

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- FauxLiving@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  As a CEO it is easy to compete when your competition is suffering from tariffs and all you’re suffering from is sore knees and a bad taste in your mouth.
  
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Naich@lemmings.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
"support for common-sense policies and candidates”

So that will be the loudest fascists who have their tongues furthest up the billionaires’ arseholes.

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Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Hmm, I wonder what type of politicians they would advocate for…

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- XLE@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  Remember when Ron Paul’s libertarian party threw out one of their members after he made similar comments about Mitt Romney? Tech elites are destroying discourse in front of our very eyes.
  
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RIotingPacifist@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Another one? Isn’t GrowSF already this?

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- LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  They’ve always got more money to spend.
  
  Oligarchy and democracy are fundamentally incompatible.
  
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- FiniteBanjo@feddit.online ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Cali’s economy is bigger than the UK, theres a lot of money to be thrown around.
  
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  - ChicoSuave@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    California has far more billionaires than any other state by a large margin. According to Wiki, at under 200, the UK has fewer billionaires than California.
    
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FiniteBanjo@feddit.online ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Theres a similar group funded by billionaire Anschultz in Colorado, “Advance Colorado” and related groups.

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