Just now! a16z spent $115 million to influence American politics, here is the escape route for retail investors in the crypto circle

Today let’s talk about something hardcore—no beating around the bush—America’s midterm elections, and the top spender isn’t Musk, isn’t Soros, it’s a venture capital firm: a16z.

The New York Times uncovered data: a16z, along with its two founders Anderson and Horowitz, directly poured over $115 million into political donations during this election cycle. Compared to the previous election cycle (about $63 million), it’s more than doubled.

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. The day after the 2024 presidential election (usually a day when major donors rest), a16z injected $23 million into the two major political action committees (PACs) in the crypto industry. Anderson said something very candid on a podcast: “Engaging in politics must become a permanent mission. Whether in good times or bad, full participation is essential.”

How exactly are they playing this?

Since the 2024 election, a16z has invested $47.5 million into the Fairshake network of super PACs supporting the crypto industry. Then, they led the formation of Leading the Future, a super PAC focused on supporting pro-AI legislators, with an additional $50 million. Both committees adopt a bipartisan strategy, not just helping Republicans or Democrats exclusively.

In addition, a16z and the two founders jointly donated $12 million to Trump’s super PAC MAGA Inc., including a single $6 million donation in March. That same month, a trust fund associated with Anderson also donated nearly $900k to the Republican National Committee.

Anderson himself is closely aligned with the Trump administration. Before Trump began his second term last year, Anderson revealed he spent half his time at Mar-a-Lago, helping Trump’s team with the transition, and also advised Musk-led government efficiency initiatives. Two former a16z partners have already taken government roles, one responsible for AI regulation. In March, Anderson, now 54, was appointed to the White House’s top tech advisory committee, and he was invited to the UK King Charles III’s visit to the U.S. and a private dinner at Trump’s Rose Garden.

Where does this money come from? Regulatory filings show that most large donations originate from the two fully owned a16z entities. The $115.5 million in this round doesn’t include recent contributions of tens of millions of dollars to the American Innovators Network, a nonprofit advocating for emerging AI—an organization that doesn’t have to disclose individual donors.

Of course, such activities have sparked controversy.

Internally, early partner John O’Farrell resigned as a part-time advisor last May due to ideological differences, openly criticizing Fairshake and Leading the Future. Externally, progressives have strongly condemned this. Last year, several Democratic lawmakers publicly criticized Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego for jointly fundraising with Anderson.

More dramatically, to counterbalance a16z’s political influence, a super PAC called Public First was established, emphasizing AI safety principles. Industry insiders jokingly called it “z16a,” a deliberate reversal of a16z’s name. New York State Democratic Assemblyman Alex Bores bluntly said, “Venture capital’s logic is rapid scaling, but it shouldn’t be used to buy into democracy.”

But Anderson doesn’t care. Back in 2000, at age 29, he said, “If you think today’s political donations are already huge, you haven’t seen real scale yet.”

Now do you understand? This $115 million from a16z, on the surface, is political funding, but essentially it’s a long-term ticket for the crypto and AI industries. The takeaway for retail investors is: when power and capital are deeply intertwined, market policy directions can be more intense than you imagine. To survive, you need to understand who’s behind the scenes pulling the strings.

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