Six-figure donor to the Biden Administration and part-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Chamath Palihapitiya provoked an uproar over claims that “nobody cares” about the Genocide of Uyghur Muslims in China.
CNBC reported, During a 90-minute episode, Palihapitiya told co-host, Jason Calacanis, on their “All-In” podcast that he would be lying if he said that he cared about the Uyghurs, an ethnic Muslim minority in China’s northwest region of Xinjiang.
“Every time I say that I care about the Uyghurs, I’m really just lying if I don’t really care. And so, I’d rather not lie to you and tell you the truth, it’s not a priority for me,” said the high profile Biden Donor.
The remarks sound shocking, even if thought why would anyone say something so senseless out loud on a major platform and blast it to the public?
In an attempt to save face, the venture capitalist said “In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy. I acknowledge that entirely, as a refugee, my family fled a country with its own set of human rights issues, so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience.”
After outrage struck, Palihapitiya seems to have had a complete attitude change regarding the topic.
“To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop.” He said in a statement.
The Warriors were also quick to release a statement making clear that their investor does not speak for the organization despite owning 10% of the company.
“As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don’t reflect those of our organization,” the statement said.
