Billionaire Airbnb Co-Founder Backs California Voter ID Measure with $8 Million Donation
Joseph Gebbia's significant contribution bolsters the campaign for Proposition 39 ahead of the November election, intensifying the debate over voter identification laws.
Joseph Gebbia, the billionaire co-founder of Airbnb, has contributed $8 million to the campaign supporting California's Proposition 39, a ballot measure that would require voters to show identification at the polls and implement verification for mail-in ballots. The donation, made Tuesday to the main committee Californians for Voter ID, provides a substantial financial boost to the measure ahead of the November election.
This substantial donation increases the 'yes' campaign's available funds from approximately $12.9 million to around $20.9 million. In contrast, the committees opposing Proposition 39 reported a combined total of $8.4 million on hand. Gebbia, who has previously donated to Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, has more recently aligned with President Donald Trump and has taken on a role with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Other notable supporters of the voter ID initiative include Nicole Shanahan, the 2024 vice presidential candidate for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and crypto entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
The measure faces strong opposition from prominent California Democrats. Governor Gavin Newsom has joined the "No on 39" campaign as an honorary co-chair, calling the proposition an attempt by "MAGA allies" to "rig our elections."
Newsom's likely successor, gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, and state legislative leaders have also been named honorary leaders of the opposition. The anti-Prop 39 campaign has criticized the measure as a "MAGA power grab" aimed at disenfranchising voters.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin have previously contributed $2.5 million to efforts opposing the voter ID requirement.
Recent polling indicates a close contest for Proposition 39. A poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling between September 21 and 24 found 49% of voters in favor of the measure and 42% opposed, with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.