What is Michael Moritz's current role?

He is Senior Advisor to HRTG Partners, the independent private-investment partnership formerly called Sequoia Heritage, and chairman of Klarna Group plc. His Instacart board term ended at the 2026 annual meeting.

When did he lead and leave Sequoia?

Published sources date his co-leadership with Doug Leone from 1995 or the formal 1996 succession. He relinquished day-to-day management in 2012 for health reasons, remained chairman/partner and left the venture partnership effective July 19, 2023.

Which investments are most clearly Moritz-led?

Strong first-person, issuer or Sequoia evidence supports Yahoo, X.com/PayPal, Google, Zappos, Kayak, Klarna, Stripe and Instacart. LinkExchange, [24]7.ai, Green Dot, Watershed and Getir have official partner/board attribution with less deal-level detail.

Did Michael Moritz lead Sequoia's YouTube investment?

No. Roelof Botha originated the investment, wrote the memo and served on YouTube's board. Moritz led Sequoia and sat on Google's board, and later defended the acquisition, but those facts do not make the deal his.

Did he originate LinkedIn's Sequoia investment?

Sequoia's archive lists Moritz as a partner, but Mark Kvamme held the board seat from the 2003 first outside investment. Moritz replaced Kvamme in January 2011 and served until June 2016, so sole origination is not claimed.

What failed investments and misses has he acknowledged?

Webvan is his clearest self-described failure; eToys also lost money. He regretted passing on Netflix and said he underestimated Uber's potential. Exact Sequoia fund losses and his personal economics are not public.

What does he look for in founders?

Unusual depth of understanding, clear communication, irrepressible hunger, originality, real product or user evidence, rapid learning and the ability to tell a compelling long-term story.

How should a founder pitch him?

Historically: explain the problem simply, show unusual knowledge and real behavior, define the smallest repeatable proof point, address capital intensity and tell a story capable of recruiting a company. He is no longer a Sequoia venture partner, so this is not current submission guidance.

What happened in the 2024 Klarna board dispute?

A Sequoia representative requested Moritz's removal as chairman amid internal governance disputes. Sequoia withdrew the request after fuller assessment, apologized, supported him and replaced its representative. Moritz remained chair through Klarna's 2025 IPO and 2026 AGM.

Why were his comments about women in venture criticized?

In 2015 he linked Sequoia's all-male investing partnership to a pipeline problem and said it would not lower standards, language critics said falsely framed diversity as a standards trade-off. He then clarified that many remarkable women would flourish in venture and that Sequoia wanted to hire them.

What are Crankstart's priorities?

The family foundation focuses on economic mobility, education, housing, democracy and civil rights, environment/climate, basic science and arts, with about 60% of grants in the Bay Area. It is separate from Sequoia, HRTG and Moritz's personal investments.

What books has he written?

Going for Broke with Barrett Seaman (1981), The Little Kingdom (1984), its revised Return to the Little Kingdom (2009), Leading with Sir Alex Ferguson (2015; U.S. 2016), and the family memoir Ausländer (2026).

What is publicly known about his family background?

He was born in Cardiff in 1954 to German-Jewish refugees Alfred/Ludwig and Doris Moritz, is married to author and sculptor Harriet Heyman, and public sources identify two sons. Ausländer documents the refugee and Holocaust history; unnecessary private details are excluded.

Michael Moritz

Investor

Senior Adviser at Sequoia Heritage · Board director at TrialSpark · Board director at Maplebear Inc. · Board director at Stripe

San Francisco, CA

Writes $50K – $200M checks · typically $25M

Midas 2001 Midas 2002 Midas 2003 Midas 2004 Midas 2005 Midas 2006 Midas 2007 Midas 2008 Midas 2009 Midas 2011 Midas 2012 · #13 Midas 2013 · #13 Midas 2014 · #13 Midas 2015 · #16 Midas 2016 · #28 Midas 2017 · #94 Midas 2019 · #69 Midas 2020 · #46 Midas 2021 · #49 Midas 2022 · #70 Midas 2023 · #50

Find your path to Michael

357 people in our graph share verified history with Michael — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Chris RustunlockedMichael: together at Sequoia Capital (1998–2002)

×7Michael: together at Stripe

×4Michael: together at Sequoia Capital

Photo: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↗

About

Michael Moritz began as a Time journalist who wrote an early book on Apple, then joined Sequoia Capital in 1986 and backed Google, Yahoo, PayPal, and Stripe. He served as one of Sequoia's leaders alongside Doug Leone before stepping away from the firm in 2023 after nearly four decades. He now advises Sequoia Heritage, the independent wealth-management office he helped launch, and funds large-scale philanthropy through Crankstart.

Invests in

Climate TechConsumerEnterprise SoftwareFintechMarketplacesMedia & Entertainment

Beyond investing

Founded: Co-founded Technologic Partners, a technology newsletter and conference company.
Education: Graduated from Christ Church, Oxford in 1976 with an MA in History.
Awards: Authored Return to the Little Kingdom, the first major book about Apple, published in 1984.
More: Co-authored the book LEADING with Sir Alex Ferguson, the longtime Manager of Manchester United. Worked as a correspondent for Time and served as its San Francisco bureau chief.

From Michael's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Board director at TrialSpark

Intro paths

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In turn, Michael can intro founders to TrialSpark's investors below.

TrialSpark's investors · 10

Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2024 Casdin CapitalNew York · since 2021 Felicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checks · since 2021 Mantis CapitalSanta Monica · $100K – $1M checks · since 2024 Sam Altmansince 2024 Section 32Palo Alto · since 2024 Sequoia CapitalMenlo Park · $4.4M – $214M checks · since 2024 Sound VenturesSanta Monica · since 2021 Spark CapitalSan Francisco · $500K – $25M checks · since 2024 Thrive CapitalNew York · $500K – $25M checks · since 2024

Co-founders at TrialSpark

Linhao ZhangCo-Founder

Benjamine LiuExecutive Officer, Director

Board director at Maplebear Inc.

Intro paths

→

In turn, Michael can intro founders to Maplebear Inc.'s investors below.

Maplebear Inc.'s investors · 4

Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2021 G SquaredChicago SEI VenturesOaks · since 2026 Sequoia CapitalMenlo Park · $4.4M – $214M checks · since 2021

Co-founders at Maplebear Inc.

Apoorva MehtaCo-Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman

Board director at Stripe YC S09

Intro paths

Stripe went through Y Combinator (Summer 2009) — Michael sits on its board, so any YC alum in your network can reach them through the company's founders.

→

In turn, Michael can intro founders to Stripe's investors below.

Stripe's investors · 67

500 GlobalSan Francisco · $150K checks · since 2014 Advaita CapitalBoston Aglae VenturesParis · $108K – $5.4M checks Air Street CapitalSt. Peter Port · $500K – $10M checks Alkeon InnovationNew York Altos VenturesBurlingame · $1M – $3M checks AlvenParis Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2026 AtomicoLondon Base PartnersSão Paulo BoxGroupNew York · $1M checks CapitalGSan Francisco · $50M – $100M checks Coatue ManagementNew York · $1M – $20M checks Designer FundSan Francisco · $100K – $1M checks Dria VenturesNew York Emerson Collective InvestingPalo Alto · $100K – $1M checks Entrée CapitalTel Aviv · $150K – $15M checks Felicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checks Firestreak Ventures FirstMark CapitalNew York · $500K – $8M checks · since 2024 Founders FundSan Francisco · $500K – $5M checks Fourth RealmMenlo Park Galdana VenturesBarcelona General CatalystSan Francisco · $30M checks Glade Brook Capital PartnersGreenwich Glynn Capital ManagementMenlo Park Golden Gate VenturesSingapore · $473K – $60M checks Goose Valley VenturesStockholm · $870K checks Green Meadow VenturesWest Hollywood · $500K – $3M checks GreenoaksSan Francisco · $1M – $50M checks HeavybitSan Francisco · $500K – $5M checks ICONIQSan Francisco Imaginary Venture CapitalNew York · $1M – $10M checks Interplay Ventures Early Stage Management LlcNew York · $1M checks InvestXVancouver JuniperoMiami Khosla VenturesMenlo Park · $5K – $50M checks Kleiner PerkinsMenlo Park · $500K – $15M checks Lowercase CapitalJackson Moment Ventures, LlcPalo Alto New Wavesince 2024 Night CapitalCapitola Notable CapitalSilicon Valley · $5M – $50M checks ParadigmSan Francisco · $1M – $100M checks Preston-Werner VenturesSan Francisco Bay Area · $500K – $3M checks Prime VenturesAmsterdam · $5.4M – $16.2M checks Quest VenturesSingapore · $50K – $10M checks Redpoint VenturesWoodside · $100K – $10M checks SciFi VCSan Francisco · $100K – $1M checks Seiho Investment WorksKyoto · $67K – $670K checks Sequoia CapitalMenlo Park · $4.4M – $214M checks · since 2024 Sherpalo VenturesMenlo Park SignalFireSan Francisco · $250K – $15M checks · since 2024 Sixth StreetSan Francisco · $50M – $2.5B checks South Quad Square Peg CapitalMelbourne SquareOneBerlin · $378K – $3.8M checks SquareOne CapitalMiami Standard CapitalSan Francisco SV AngelSan Francisco The Players' Impact Thrive CapitalNew York · $500K – $25M checks · since 2026 Union Square Ventures (USV)New York City · $1M – $8M checks WAGMI Ventures WealthUnion$10K checks XYZ Venture CapitalSan Francisco · $10K – $5M checks Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2009

Co-founders at Stripe

John CollisonCo-founder & President

Patrick CollisonCo-founder & CEO

Experience

Sequoia HeritageSenior Advisor, Sequoia Heritagecurrent2023 — present
Sequoia CapitalPartnercurrent1986 — present
Sequoia CapitalPartner1986 — 2023
CrankstartChairmancurrent2005 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States

Skills & more

E-commerce3Start-ups7

From Michael's professional profile.

Deals · 5

Klarna Group plcBoard seat

via Sequoia Capital · filed Dec 2024 · $4.3M raise

TrialSparkBoard seat

via Sequoia Capital · filed Jul 2024 · $512M raise

Maplebear Inc.Board seat

via Sequoia Capital · filed Nov 2021 · $290M raise

Pocket Outdoor MediaBoard seat

via Sequoia Capital · filed Mar 2021 · $155M raise

Berkeley LightsBoard seat

via Sequoia Capital · filed Nov 2016 · $40M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Other disclosed investments

Board seats

24/7 CustomerA123 SystemsAricent GroupAtom EntertainmentCenterRunEarth NetworkseGroupsFlextronicsFormation BioGameflyGoogle Green DotGreen Dot CorporationHealthCentralInstacart InstacartITA SoftwareKayakKayak.comKlarna LinkedInLuximPayPal Paypal CorpPhenomeX (formerly Berkeley Lights)PlaxoPopSugarPure DigitalSaba SoftwareStrava Stripe Stripe WatershedYahooYahoo!Zappos

Investor

[24]7.aiCalifornia ForevereToysFormation BioGetirGoogleGreen Dot InstacartKAYAKKlarna LinkedInLinkExchangePaypal CorpPOPSUGARSkyscannerStripeWatershedWebvanYahooYahoo!YouTube Zappos

Sources: curated public sources · SEC Form D filings · the investor's own website.

Founder fit — who Michael backs

Best fit historically: independent, obsessive founders with original ideas, working products or unmistakable user pull; young or unconventional teams able to explain a large ambition simply; leaders willing to withstand contrary opinion, recruit stronger colleagues and build for decades. He values depth, clarity, hunger, curiosity and an authentic relationship to the problem more than polished credentials.

Strong signalsUnusual depth of understandingClear and memorable storyIrrepressible founder hungerOriginal idea outside convenient categoriesWorking product or organic user pullCapital-efficient early proofLong time horizonGlobal ambitionAbility to learn rapidlyWillingness to recruit and evolve

Historically weak fits include consensus-shaped pitches, jargon replacing understanding, capital-intensive national rollout before local proof, dependence on Wall Street's willingness to fund losses, businesses requiring rapid mass behavior change without evidence, founders pursuing status rather than product, and teams unable to communicate or learn. His Netflix and Uber misses show that unfamiliar initial forms can also cause false negatives.

How to pitch

Explain the problem from first principles, demonstrate unusual knowledge, show the product and real user behavior, and tell a concise story that recruits employees and customers as well as capital. Define the first narrow proof point, capital required before it, why the opportunity can compound for a decade, and what you still do not know. Current outreach should recognize that Moritz left Sequoia's venture practice; this is historical/editorial guidance, not a live submission policy.

Stages: seed, early stage, select growth, public/personal long-term investment · Sectors: internet and search, consumer technology, financial technology and payments, marketplaces, enterprise software, media, climate software, global technology

Editorial inference from Michael's portfolio, writing and public record — not a published mandate.

Investment themes

9 documented themes from Michael's essays, talks and portfolio, grouped by what they say about founders.

▶More themes7

Learn fast without false expertise2016
His Oxford and journalism analogy emphasizes disciplined curiosity and decisions from incomplete information rather than pretending to possess permanent sector expertise.
For founders: Teach the investor something specific while showing how you update beliefs.
Look for the unexpected2016
Airbnb and DJI illustrate opportunities that did not fit conventional category buckets at entry.
For founders: Explain why the odd initial shape contains a much larger future rather than forcing a familiar label.
Narrative is operating infrastructure2025
Moritz argues founders need a clear story to persuade themselves, co-founders, employees, customers, investors and press; it is not cosmetic pitchcraft.
For founders: Build a truthful narrative with a distant summit and credible near missions.
Start infernos with one match1995
His Yahoo-era formulation favored small initial capital and large effects; Webvan later reinforced the danger of financing expansion before proof.
For founders: Show the smallest amount of capital that establishes a repeatable formula.
Renew teams across generations2015
His collaboration with Alex Ferguson highlights selection, standards, delegation, transition and rebuilding before decline becomes obvious.
For founders: Design succession and talent renewal as continuous operating work.
Technology leadership is not permanently American2015
Moritz argued that Chinese and other non-U.S. companies could lead the next technology era and helped Sequoia globalize; later geopolitical controversy requires separating his thesis from every affiliate investment.
For founders: Build from local insight toward global quality without assuming U.S. incumbency.
Talent is distributed; opportunity is not2012
Oxford access giving and Crankstart's mission apply his long-horizon institution-building lens to education and mobility.
For founders: For mission-driven work, connect resource allocation to durable access rather than prestige alone.

▶Founders & company building1

Depth, clarity and hunger2026
He identifies unusual understanding, clear communication and an irrepressible drive to make the product real as core entrepreneurial traits.
For founders: Demonstrate command, explain simply and show sustained action.

▶Governance & network states1

Preserve independence until the reason is compelling2002
PayPal rejected pressure and went public before accepting eBay's later offer; Moritz called Google a justified savior for YouTube because copyright threats were existential.
For founders: Treat acquisition as a strategic decision about mission and survival, not an automatic victory.

Books by Michael Moritz

Return to the Little Kingdom: Steve Jobs and the Creation of Apple

Overlook Press, 2009

Leading

Hachette Books, 2015

Podcasts & interviews

featuring Michael Moritz

Sir Michael Moritz in conversation with Richard Ovenden

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford · visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Judgement, Compounding and the Weight of History

Money Maze Podcast · moneymazepodcast.com

The $1.4 Billion Advice from Michael Moritz, Chairman of Sequoia Capital #shorts #letstokpodcast

LetsTok - Enriching lives through a Podcast

Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital partner

Startup Cat

Fireside Chat with Michael Moritz: Trends in VC Investment: How did we get here?

The Justice Department

Michael Moritz, Partner, Sequoia Capital

Stanford Graduate School of Business

6 more appearances

Michael Moritz: Follow Your Instincts and Find Your Path [Entire Talk]2016-01-27
Follow Your Instincts and Find Your Path2016-01-20
Sequoia's Michael Moritz: Look out for the Unexpected2016-01-01
A Conversation on the State of Stripe2014-06-09
A Conversation on Philanthropy with Bill Gates and Sir Michael Moritz2013-10-15
Mike Moritz oral-history interview2013-04-02

Writing

Ausländer: One Family's Story of Escape and Exile2026-01-22

Memoir tracing his parents' escape from Nazi Germany, murdered relatives, outsider identity and contemporary warnings about authoritarianism. U.S. edition followed in September 2026.

Business needs to show there is more to the US than Donald Trump2017-06-01

Opinion urging business leaders to oppose destabilizing Trump administration policies.

Director Michael Moritz Issues Letter to Green Dot Shareholders2016-05-16

Public governance letter defending Green Dot's board and management during an activist proxy contest.

Technology's next 25 years belong to the world, not the US2015-02-03

Financial Times argument for global, especially Chinese, technology strength; disclosed Sequoia interests.

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United2015-01-01

Collaboration with Sir Alex Ferguson on leadership, standards, teams, transition, adversity and institutional endurance; U.S. edition metadata uses 2016.

The Rise of the Personal Revolution2013-09-09

Sequoia essay on data factories, democratized tools and technology-driven disruption.

4 more posts

The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer1984-01-01
The Computer Moves In1983-01-03
The Updated Book of Jobs1983-01-03
Going for Broke: The Chrysler Story1981-01-01

Network2

Elon MuskScout

Founder of SpaceX and xAI; CEO of Tesla

Ayala (Aya) PeterburgScout

Managing Partner at S Capital

Investors connected to Michael in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

What is Michael Moritz's current role?: He is Senior Advisor to HRTG Partners, the independent private-investment partnership formerly called Sequoia Heritage, and chairman of Klarna Group plc. His Instacart board term ended at the 2026 annual meeting.
When did he lead and leave Sequoia?: Published sources date his co-leadership with Doug Leone from 1995 or the formal 1996 succession. He relinquished day-to-day management in 2012 for health reasons, remained chairman/partner and left the venture partnership effective July 19, 2023.
Which investments are most clearly Moritz-led?: Strong first-person, issuer or Sequoia evidence supports Yahoo, X.com/PayPal, Google, Zappos, Kayak, Klarna, Stripe and Instacart. LinkExchange, [24]7.ai, Green Dot, Watershed and Getir have official partner/board attribution with less deal-level detail.
Did Michael Moritz lead Sequoia's YouTube investment?: No. Roelof Botha originated the investment, wrote the memo and served on YouTube's board. Moritz led Sequoia and sat on Google's board, and later defended the acquisition, but those facts do not make the deal his.
Did he originate LinkedIn's Sequoia investment?: Sequoia's archive lists Moritz as a partner, but Mark Kvamme held the board seat from the 2003 first outside investment. Moritz replaced Kvamme in January 2011 and served until June 2016, so sole origination is not claimed.
What failed investments and misses has he acknowledged?: Webvan is his clearest self-described failure; eToys also lost money. He regretted passing on Netflix and said he underestimated Uber's potential. Exact Sequoia fund losses and his personal economics are not public.
What does he look for in founders?: Unusual depth of understanding, clear communication, irrepressible hunger, originality, real product or user evidence, rapid learning and the ability to tell a compelling long-term story.
How should a founder pitch him?: Historically: explain the problem simply, show unusual knowledge and real behavior, define the smallest repeatable proof point, address capital intensity and tell a story capable of recruiting a company. He is no longer a Sequoia venture partner, so this is not current submission guidance.
What happened in the 2024 Klarna board dispute?: A Sequoia representative requested Moritz's removal as chairman amid internal governance disputes. Sequoia withdrew the request after fuller assessment, apologized, supported him and replaced its representative. Moritz remained chair through Klarna's 2025 IPO and 2026 AGM.
Why were his comments about women in venture criticized?: In 2015 he linked Sequoia's all-male investing partnership to a pipeline problem and said it would not lower standards, language critics said falsely framed diversity as a standards trade-off. He then clarified that many remarkable women would flourish in venture and that Sequoia wanted to hire them.
What are Crankstart's priorities?: The family foundation focuses on economic mobility, education, housing, democracy and civil rights, environment/climate, basic science and arts, with about 60% of grants in the Bay Area. It is separate from Sequoia, HRTG and Moritz's personal investments.
What books has he written?: Going for Broke with Barrett Seaman (1981), The Little Kingdom (1984), its revised Return to the Little Kingdom (2009), Leading with Sir Alex Ferguson (2015; U.S. 2016), and the family memoir Ausländer (2026).
What is publicly known about his family background?: He was born in Cardiff in 1954 to German-Jewish refugees Alfred/Ludwig and Doris Moritz, is married to author and sculptor Harriet Heyman, and public sources identify two sons. Ausländer documents the refugee and Holocaust history; unnecessary private details are excluded.
Who is Michael Moritz?: Michael Moritz began as a Time journalist who wrote an early book on Apple, then joined Sequoia Capital in 1986 and backed Google, Yahoo, PayPal, and Stripe. He served as one of Sequoia's leaders alongside Doug Leone before stepping away from the firm in 2023 after nearly four decades. He now advises Sequoia Heritage, the independent wealth-management office he helped launch, and funds large-scale philanthropy through Crankstart.