Tom Steyer

Tom Steyer
Steyer in 2020
Born
Thomas Fahr Steyer

(1957-06-27) June 27, 1957 (age 67)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
EducationYale University (BA)
Stanford University (MBA)
Occupations
  • Climate investor
  • Businessman
  • banker
  • philanthropist
  • financier
  • activist
TitleCo-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions
Founder of Farallon Capital
Co-founder of Beneficial State Bank
Political partyDemocratic
Board member ofHellman & Friedman
Stanford University
Spouse
Kat Taylor
​
(m. 1986)​
Children4
FamilyJim Steyer (brother)

Thomas Fahr Steyer (/ˈstaɪ.ər/; born June 27, 1957) is an American climate investor, businessman, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, environmentalist, and liberal activist.[1][2] Steyer is the founder and former co-senior-managing-partner of Farallon Capital, and the co-founder of OneCalifornia Bank, which became (through merger) Beneficial State Bank, an Oakland-based community development bank.[1] Farallon Capital manages $20 billion in capital for institutions and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's institutional investors include college endowments and foundations.[1] Steyer served on the board of trustees at Stanford University from 2007 to 2017.[3][4] Since 1986, he has been a partner and member of the executive committee at Hellman & Friedman, a San Francisco–based private equity firm.

In 2010, Steyer and his wife signed The Giving Pledge to donate half of their fortune to charity during their lifetime. In 2012, he sold his stake in and retired from Farallon Capital. Switching his focus to politics and the environment, he launched NextGen America, a nonprofit organization that supports progressive positions on climate change, immigration, health care, and education.[5][6]

Steyer sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, but dropped out of the race after the first four state contests,[7][8] having spent more than $191 million on campaign advertising but failing to obtain any pledged delegates.[8]

In 2021, Steyer co-founded Galvanize Climate Solutions with Katie Hall, his longtime friend and business partner. Galvanize is a climate-focused investment firm.[9]

  1. ^ a b c Lashinsky, Adam (September 17, 2008). "California's hedge fund king". Fortune. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  2. ^ Garofoli, Joe (July 9, 2019). "San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer launches presidential campaign". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Sullivan, Kathleen J. (February 15, 2017). "Trustees address a range of issues". Stanford News. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  5. ^ "About us". NextGen Climate. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  6. ^ Coral Davenport (May 22, 2014). "Pushing Climate Change as an Issue This Year, but With an Eye on 2016". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  7. ^ Edelman, Adam; Smith, Allan; Jackson, Jordan (February 29, 2020). "Billionaire Tom Steyer quits Democratic primary race". NBC News. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Saul, Stephanie; Stevens, Matt (February 29, 2020). "Tom Steyer Drops Out of 2020 Presidential Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Primack, Dan (September 9, 2021). "Tom Steyer launches climate tech investment platform". Axios. Retrieved December 29, 2022.