Associates of Andreessen Horowitz, the Blue-Chip Business Capital Company at Silicon Valley, defended investors their decision to hire Daniel Penny, a sea veteran who was acquitted in the category of criminal homicide last year, that New York thought of.
Andreessen Horowitz, the note said, is probably the largest public security and defense investor in the country and “as a result, we spend a lot of time with military, veterans, police chiefs, sheriffs. These relationships are critical to our companies’ success . “
Mr. Penny’s “military veteran experience may be useful for continuing these relationships, and many of the founders and associates of public security and defense have shared a similar feeling,” the note, which was sent on Wednesday by the Jen Kha, the business leader of investor relationships.
The operation told employees on Tuesday morning that he had hired Mr Penny. David Ulevitch, an investment partner, said in a separate note that he had been introduced to Mr Penny last year and that the veteran had acted with “courage in a harsh state”.
Mr Ulevitch has asked Mr Penny to participate in the company’s investment team, which focuses on aerospace, defense and production.
Mr Ulevitch added that he had conducted “investigations and interviews” with Mr Penny and believed that Mr Penny had behaved “honorable and appropriately, given the chaotic and dangerous circumstances” in the subway, the note said.
Shortly after taking the recruitment, business partners began receiving messages from foreign and limited partnership partners, said two people familiar with messages, who spoke about the condition of anonymity.
Some of the people asked why Mr Penny was hired without investment experience, while others expressed their concern that his extremely politicized trial would pay unjustified attention to the business.
A spokesman for Andreessen Horowitz did not immediately respond to a request for comments. A lawyer who represented Mr Penny during the trial refused to comment on Wednesday.
The business partners, including co -founder Marc Andreessen, supported President Trump in last year’s elections. Some have also been borne by the right, including Mr Penny, who was embraced by conservatives during his trial.
A former architectural student, Mr. Penny, was charged with Manhattan’s lawyer in 2023 with homicide and criminal homicide after a video of another passenger, Jordan Nely, on the subway released on the internet.
Mr Neely, 30, had boarded a train north at the second avenue station and immediately began screaming at passengers, witnesses said to want to return to prison and not take care of whether he lived or died. Mr. Penny approached him from his back, put him in a chuck and took him to the floor.
A four -year video recorded by a attendant quickly spread online, showing men fighting on the floor of the subway train. Mr Nely, who had struggled with his mental health for years, died.
In December, the judges deadlocked for the most serious accusation faced by Mr Penny, homicide and the judge rejected it. The judges then considered criminal negligent homicide and acquitted Mr Penny.
For some, the case has noted their concerns about the lack of housing, mental illness and crime in New York. Others saw Mr Nely as someone who needs help in a city that leaves the most vulnerable slip through the cracks.
The Andreessen Horowitz note has recognized strong views on Mr Penny, but added that “we believe that there is a long -term value in expanding our network in collaboration with Daniel and are excited to have him as a member of our team”.
