Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan launches dark-money group to influence CA politics
Source: Hacker News
Overview
Garry Tan, the local venture capitalist who has for years railed against progressive politicians on social media and served as the intersection between tech and center‑right politics in the city, is formalizing his influence operation.
Tan, the CEO of the vaunted startup incubator Y Combinator, announced Wednesday that he had spun up a dark‑money group called Garry’s List. He described it in a press release as a “voter education group” “dedicated to civic engagement, voter education and support for common‑sense policies and candidates.”
Such groups give donors a way to anonymously support causes without giving directly to a candidate or a measure.
“I want to work to ensure Californians know the importance of investment and entrepreneurship to our state’s current and future economy,” Tan wrote.
What Garry’s List Will Do
- Legal status: As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Garry’s List can spend money directly on candidates and ballot measures.
- Activities: It could print voter guides, host in‑person events, take out ads, and run programs training the next generation of elected officials. Tan said he plans to do all of the above.
A Media Venture, Too
Garry’s List launched with a blog that:
- Pillories public‑sector unions as “special interests”.
- Attacks the ongoing teachers’ strike.
- Denounces the proposed billionaire tax.
Tan has for years called on tech executives to create “parallel” media and “replace the unelected parts of the system,” like unions and nonprofits. “We need our own machine,” he said in 2023.
Tan’s History of Tough‑on‑Crime, Law‑and‑Order Politics
- Since 2015, he has spent nearly half a million dollars in local races (see the contributions CSV).
- He once tweeted that seven of the city’s supervisors — all progressives — should “die slow, motherfuckers.” The tweet, which Tan claimed was a joke, sparked hateful mail and police reports (see the chain of coverage at Mission Local).
Eyeing Statewide Change
Tan says he will “take the same education and engagement we used to turn around San Francisco” to all of California. He told the San Francisco Standard that he “pined for the energy that I felt when we were first working on the recall of Chesa Boudin and the school board” in 2022.
The Publicist: Sam Singer
- Singer, described as the “master of disaster” publicist, is working with Tan. He did not disclose amounts or the source of funds for Garry’s List but said it had received donations from more individuals than just Tan.
- “There’s been a large amount of support from, as Garry calls them, ‘radical centrists’ to have an organization like this that is neither Democrat nor Republican, but is a pragmatic, centrist, and common‑sense place,” Singer said.
Singer added that all 58 counties in California are “on Garry’s map” and that the group would operate “from the Mexican border to the Oregon border.”
Context: A Well‑Funded Network
Garry’s List is the latest entry in a well‑funded network of political donors that has helped push spending for local elections into the stratosphere.
Similar Operations
- TogetherSF – a nonprofit backed by venture capitalist Michael Moritz – crashed and burned after the 2024 elections when its $9.5 million ballot measure to reform the city charter lost to a progressive counter‑measure backed by about $117,000. Moritz subsequently pulled support.
- Neighbors for a Better San Francisco – once the top‑spending group in city politics, remains a major player (see Mission Local coverage).
Funding Overview
- Tan’s operation took in $1 million last year【source】.
- GrowSF, a group where Tan once served on the board, recently announced it will spend $2 million in the 2026 election cycle【source】.
Co‑Founders
| Name | Role | Affiliations & Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Shaudi Fulp | Sacramento lobbyist | Leads operations at Grow California, a PAC created to oppose the proposed billionaire tax【source】. Grow California is fully funded with $10 million by crypto executives Chris Larsen and Tim Draper【source】. |
| Forrest Liu | 30‑something political organizer | Started as an intern for former Mayor Ed Lee. Known for protecting Asian seniors from street harassment and, controversially, for a reputation as a bully【source】—including challenging District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan to a fistfight. Liu has faced at least two police reports for harassment, prompting political consultant David Ho to comment that “Forrest is a type who’s going to burn out really quickly in politics”【source】. |
Garry’s List: Structure & Strategy
- Legal designation: 501(c)(4) nonprofit.
- Key advantage: Allows the group to bankroll campaigns while affording donors a measure of secrecy【source】. These entities are often labeled “dark‑money” groups because they can spend on elections without fully disclosing donors.
How 501(c)(4) Rules Work
- Election spending limit: Must spend less than 50 % of total funds on election‑related activities.
- Direct contributions: Allowed, but the more common practice is to fund independent‑expenditure committees, which can spend unlimited amounts so long as they do not coordinate directly with campaigns.
- Social‑welfare requirement: The remaining funds must support “social welfare” activities—such as voter‑education guides and events—that raise the group’s public profile. These “charitable” activities often lay the groundwork for long‑term political influence more effectively than single‑election donations.
Tan’s Vision
Tan says the plan is to build lasting political infrastructure. As he told The Standard, his goal is to stand up “political infrastructure for the next 20 years.”