Tech Investor Donates Millions to Las Vegas Police to Fund Portfolio Company Drones
Venture capitalist Ben Horowitz secretly donates millions to the Las Vegas police to purchase drones from his portfolio company Skydio, bypassing standard public procurement processes.
Venture capitalist Ben Horowitz maintains a close relationship with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that directly benefits his investment firm's portfolio companies. When drone maker Skydio pitches its products to the department, Horowitz steps in to personally fund the purchases through donations to the police foundation. Emails obtained through a public records request show Horowitz and the police chief of staff coordinating these equipment acquisitions, with Skydio later publicly praising the department without mentioning the VC's financial involvement.
Horowitz's financial support extends far beyond a single drone purchase, totaling at least $7.6 million in recent years. The investor facilitates communication between the Las Vegas police and at least six different companies backed by his firm a16z. He and his wife also pay for improvements to the department's gym, demonstrating a deeply intertwined relationship that blurs the lines between private tech investment and public law enforcement.
This funding method allows the police department to acquire new surveillance technology without going through standard government procurement processes. Civil rights advocates express serious concern about this practice, noting that police foundations bypass public meetings, city-approved budgets, and competitive bidding periods. Critics argue this secretive pipeline allows tech companies to market novel surveillance tools directly to police without public oversight or ethical scrutiny.