Just one person on the Silicon Valley Bank’s Board of Directors had any investment banking experience. In contrast, the others were a diverse group of major Democrat donors, raising questions about whether the board members’ priorities were to blame for the failure.
Sixty-three-year-old Tom King was the lone board member with investment banking experience. He was appointed to the board in September after serving as the CEO of investment banking at Barclay’s. The other board members, on the other hand, had sparse resumés, according to the Daily Mail.
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They include a former Obama administration employee, major donors to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Senate majority leader Chuch Schumer, and Sen Mark Warner, a longtime member of the powerful Senate Banking Committee. One board member, Kate Mitchell, was a Hillary Clinton mega-donor who was so committed she visited a Shinto shrine to pray and cry when Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election.
“I prayed for me and us to get beyond our grieving and shock, and to figure out how to engage and listen to what happened and come back together.”
Predictably, the board is now being investigated by federal authorities following its failure to prevent its banks’ collapse after heavily investing in risky low-interest government bonds and securities. The board has also, understandably, been accused of being more focused on woke priorities than solid financial strategies.
According to The Daily Mail, the bank started its initiatives to “advance inclusion and opportunity in the innovation economy,” garnering an A rating on Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies according to the MSCI index. The failed bank also promised to invest 5 billion in sustainability efforts, and its European offices held a monthlong Pride celebration and promoted ‘safe spaces.’
The bank’s ESG 2022 report explicitly voiced its commitments to left-wing priorities, starting with investing in companies developing “sustainable” technology, but with no mention of market viability.
“SVB’s Sustainable Finance Commitment aims to support companies that are working to decarbonize the energy and infrastructure industries and hasten the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon, net zero emissions economy.”
The report also committed to “diversity” as an intentional guiding principle in hiring.
“[The bank]introduced measurable diversity goals for its senior leadership positions to strengthen the hiring and talent development initiatives meant to create paths to professional advancement, especially for women, black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx individuals. In 2021, SVB continued to expand the program, harnessing its resources, experience and connections to address key barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from succeeding in the innovation sector.'”
But from April 2022 and January 2023, SVB lacked a chief risk operator, even as it invested clients’ money in low-interest government bonds and split its focus with political priorities.
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Craig Robinson, the bank’s head of corporate social responsibility, made clear in The Daily Mail that the bank intended to wield the resources in the most moral ways, with no mention of returns.
“Using our resources and influence to help build strong communities and contribute to economic, social and environmental progress has always been core to our business.We are proud of the progress we have made in recent years and our annual reporting will hold us accountable to continue to learn and improve.”
The Biden Administration, however, is still blaming Trump for the failure, even as it plans to bail out depositors on the taxpayer’s dime, creating a moral hazard by allowing the risky and political behavior to continue.
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