- Oracle employees are protesting Larry Ellison for holding a Donald Trump fundraiser on his private property.
- Tech employees haven’t shied away from political activism, even against their employers.
- That doesn’t make their protests any less hypocritical.
We’d already seen it at Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. Now it’s happening at Oracle. A petition drafted by angry employees is seeking to dictate who executive chairman and chief technology officer Larry Ellison is allowed to associate with in his free time.
While most Silicon Valley employee protests have revolved around contracting with government bodies, this time it’s intruding on the personal freedoms of a company founder.
That should send a chilling warning to anyone concerned about individual liberty.
Oracle Workers Tell Larry Ellison to Delete Donald Trump from His Relationship Database
Nearly 2,500 Oracle workers have signed the petition, which demands that Ellison cancel a fundraising event he’s hosting for President Donald Trump today.
Why? The petition says it “endangers the well-being of minorities.”
The irony is that the Oracle employees don’t seem to realize that they’re an even greater threat to the spirit of U.S. constitutional rights. Or maybe they just don’t care.
Seemingly unaware of their hypocrisy, they complain the private event will damage Oracle’s culture and its “relationships with partners and customers.”
But it’s not a company-sponsored event. Doesn’t Ellison have the right to choose his own relationships – political or otherwise – when he’s off the clock?
What should irk freedom-lovers even more is that the Oracle co-founder – who’s also a prominent Tesla board member – is hosting the fundraiser at his home.
Oracle Has Reaped a Windfall from Trumponomics
But those aren’t the only reasons why Oracle employees should shut up about Larry Ellison’s private Trump fundraiser.
They don’t seem to realize that the president they hate so vehemently may have indirectly helped them achieve their latest raise or bonus check.
The “controversial” Tax Cuts and Job Act halved Oracle’s annual effective tax rate to 9.66% in 2019 from 22.21% in 2016.
Trump’s tax cuts further allowed Oracle to repatriate the cash housed overseas. The firm held $66.9 billion abroad just before the tax cuts.
Well spent, these savings could grow the business, ensure its longevity, and guarantee job security.
Even those controversial share repurchases made employee stock options more valuable.
Oracle Insiders Pony Up for Bernie Sanders
Judging by Oracle insiders’ presidential campaign donations, maybe progressive employees are just worried about being outdone by the deep-pocketed political rivals in Ellison’s social circle.
Like employees at most Silicon Valley firms, Oracle insiders lean Democratic when it comes to presidential politics.
Per the Center for Responsive Politics, Bernie Sanders is their favorite candidate. He scored $47,187 from company-linked donors.
Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden trailed with receipts of $37,154, $28,154, and $12,047, respectively.
That’s a total of $124,542 for the four Democratic presidential candidates. Company insiders only donated $6,225 to Donald Trump.
But by the end of the Trump fundraiser at Larry Ellison’s home, that is going to look like peanuts.
A single ticket to the event could cost up to $250,000.
Even if only one guest showed up, that would hand Trump’s reelection campaign twice as much cash as those 2,500 angry Oracle employees have given the leading Democratic candidates combined.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth.
Last modified: February 19, 2020 5:45 PM UTC
