Marc Andreessen—a16z hired Daniel Penny, acquitted in subway chokehold death of homeless man, as political statement
In January 2026, Andreessen Horowitz hired Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran acquitted in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless street performer. The hire was widely seen as a political statement. Andreessen himself framed the firm's controversies as providing 'this incredible competitive advantage' for attracting founders who want to work with investors who are 'brave.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| DEI Programs | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.429 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
a16z hired Daniel Penny and Andreessen called controversy an 'incredible competitive advantage'
Andreessen Horowitz hired Daniel Penny, acquitted in the subway killing of Jordan Neely. Andreessen framed the firm's controversies as a pull for founders who want investors who are 'brave,' calling it 'this incredible competitive advantage.' The firm announced $15 billion in new funds.