Questioning Benioff’s
past actions, motives
Marc Benioff moved to The Big Island five years ago, buying a compound that covers over 9 acres at Mauna Kea Beach. He then proceeded to acquire multiple residences and properties in Waimea, paying over market value. People here started questioning his motives, and then Mr. Benioff started “gifting.”
Marc Benioff, as we all know, is super rich. One of those super rich that never seem to have enough. It’s true that he has gifted land, expanded medical facilities, disaster relief, fire safety and emergency transport (in the area he lives), education and environment. This he can do because he is morbidly rich, something that many of us find part of the problem here in the U.S.
We need to look at Mr. Benioff’s true motives and what he has just done to his hometown, which is the base to his company Salesforce, San Francisco.
San Francisco is a Sanctuary City, it has been since 1989. San Francisco has long prided itself on its progressiveness, its rich diversity and inclusion.
Benioff is a fourth-generation native to the city. With this being said, you would think it would be a priority of Mr. Benioff’s to protect and be proud of that reputation. And it seemed to be for years, until he saw a great opportunity to profit off of partnering with Trump’s ICE operation.
Salesforce is now working on software that will help the Trump administration expand immigration enforcement efforts. He has sent Salesforce staff to meet with Rob Thorne, the Chief Information Security Officer for ICE, to discuss how using their AI to help ICE process its detainees, which would be another money-making opportunity for Salesforce.
At a Salesforce conference, Mr. Benioff hosted David Sacks, Trumps AI and crypto czar, for an onstage talk to his employees.
Salesforce is trying to win contracts with ICE, even at a time when Trump is saying he wants to send more agents to cities in the U.S., including San Francisco. Also that he has “friends in high places encouraging him there.”
Mr. Benioff is motivated by money, and it obviously supersedes his love for his hometown of San Francisco.
If Benioff can turn on his hometown, profit over people, we are super naive if we think he can’t do it to a place he has no roots and just five years of history with.
Hawaii is considering legislation for Sanctuary State status and has adopted multiple measures protecting undocumented immigrants.
Hawaii has a colorful and beautiful history with immigrants including those that came from Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, Portugal, Mexico, Porto Rico and Costa Rica. Many brought their families and started new lives here and made Hawaii what it is today.
The descendants of these hard-working immigrants that came and planted their roots and stayed, does ICE want to come for them? And, for a price, will Marc Benioff help?
Beware the Trojan Horse.
Darlene Scancella
Hawi
