Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz welcomes a new member to its team, someone who is both an unexpected and bizarre choice to many. New York subway vigilante and Trump supporter Daniel Penny has become a Deal Partner supporting the venture capital firm’s American Dynamism team. For those who might have forgotten, Penny choked and killed a menacing homeless man in a NY subway back in 2023 and was potentially going to see up to 20 years in prison.
However, instead of going to prison after his lengthy trial, Daniel Penny became a celebrity and hero in the eyes of conservatives. The ex-Marine was eventually acquitted in December 2024, after which he went to a football game with then-President-elect Donald Trump and JD Vance. Unless it was all an act to collect more conservative and Republican brownie points, Penny’s acceptance of the invite to watch a sports game with Trump relatively portrays which side he’s in support of.
The acquittal the New York subway vigilante received would have been a ‘happy ending’ enough, as being cleared of 20 years in prison is a huge deal. Nonetheless, Penny’s story has just started now that he’s been hired into a Silicon Valley company. “He will learn the business of investing and he will work to support our portfolio companies,” read an internal statement by David Ulevitch, a partner of Andreessen Horowitz.
Per The Free Press, Ulevitch recalled Penny’s situation back on the subway in 2023: “I believe, as I know many of you do, that Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation. He was acquitted of all charges. Beyond that, it has always been our policy to evaluate the entire person and not judge them for the worst moment in their entire life.” He finished the statement with, “We believe in Daniel and are excited to have him as part of our team.”
Many Think Daniel Penny’s New Position Doesn’t Make Sense
Needless to say, many followers of Daniel Penny’s situation were likely not expecting such a development. “Why do I feel like some hungry finance bro is gonna go kill someone on the train bc now this is a path to high finance?” joked a Redditor. “When people say they’d kill to break into VC, they mean it!” quipped another. “Babe wake up new VC recruiting pipeline just dropped,” remarked a third.
Considering how Daniel Penny’s employer states it’s looking for “entrepreneurs, investors, executives, engineers, academics, industry experts, cultural geniuses, and other technology ecosystem” experts, it’s a little tricky to see where the ex-Marine subway vigilante fits in. Perhaps the firm considers Penny a “cultural genius” for his courageous deed.
One Redditor says that Penny’s onboarding is nothing more than a “DEI hire,” not to mention the firm’s founders are open Trump supporters. Of course, not all are skeptical of the NY subway vigilante’s new job. “Penny is a true American hero, and he would be a benefit to any company,” praises a commenter. “Very nice! Well deserved!” says a second in agreement. Dozens of more fans commend and congratulate the ex-Marine with overwhelming positive support.
