In a significant boost to her presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris has received a $7 million donation from Reed Hastings, executive chairman of Netflix.
This contribution, confirmed by Variety, is the largest single campaign donation the streaming mogul has ever made.
Hastings’ donation to a super PAC supporting Harris follows President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 reelection race.
Hastings expressed renewed optimism in an interview with The Information, saying:
His sentiments were echoed on social media, where he posted:
Hastings, who co-founded Netflix in 1997 and served as its CEO for 25 years, has a net worth of $6.21 billion, largely derived from Netflix stock and options.
He currently holds the title of executive chairman, with Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters serving as co-CEOs of the streaming giant.
This donation comes at a crucial time for Harris. Following Biden’s poor performance in the June 27 debate, Hastings was among several prominent figures in Hollywood who urged the president to step aside to strengthen the Democratic party’s chances against Donald Trump.
Since Biden’s announcement and his endorsement of Harris, her campaign has raised over $130 million.
Hastings is no stranger to significant charitable contributions.
In January, he donated 2 million shares of Netflix, valued at nearly $1.3 billion, to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to reducing systemic inequities in the Bay Area.
