Tom Steyer

Tom Steyer is a California business leader, philanthropist and clean energy advocate. Before retiring from the private sector, Tom founded and was the Senior Managing Member of Farallon Capital Management.

Steyer is actively engaged in climate politics through his NextGen Climate political organisation, and works to promote economic development and environmental protection in California and across the country.

In 2010, Steyer teamed up with former Secretary of State George Shultz to defeat Proposition 23, an effort by out-of-state oil companies to dismantle California’s groundbreaking clean energy law, AB 32. In 2012, he served as co-chair with Shultz for Yes on Proposition 39, which closed a tax loophole for out-of-state corporations and created jobs in California.

Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor, joined Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates and other wealthy Americans in the “Giving Pledge,” a promise to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable and nonprofit activities during their lifetimes.

Steyer and Kat created and funded the Oakland-based Beneficial State Bank and Foundation, which provides loans and banking services to underserved small businesses, communities, and individuals in California and along the west coast.

Steyer attended the Buckley School, Phillips Exeter Academy and later graduated from Yale University summa cum laude in economics and political science, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his MBA from Stanford Business School, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. Steyer served on the Board of Trustees at Stanford University from 2012 to 2017.

On July 9, 2019, Steyer announced that he was running as a Democratic candidate for president in the 2020 election. He dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary after a disappointing finish in the February 29 South Carolina primary.