Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel is under fire after announcing a $1.25 million donation to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign.
While Y Combinator, a start-up incubator backed by Thiel, has refused to take any action against the entrepreneur, Project Include, run by Ellen Pao, has severed its relationship with Y Combinator. Various other Silicon Valley personalities have spoken up against Thiel.
Ellen Pao, co-founder of Project Include, criticized Thiel by saying that his actions are "in direct conflict with our values at Project Include." She went on to state that her project has decided to break off its relationship with Y Combinator due to its association with Thiel. Pao also rejected the idea of ignoring Thiel's donation by claiming that his support is "advocating hatred and violence."
Thiel is currently an advisor for Y Combinator. Y Combinator was started in 2005 and since then has spawned various prominent technology startups including Dropbox and Airbnb. The incubator is receiving backlash for standing by Thiel.
Y Combinator president Sam Altman tweeted that "Diversity of opinion is painful but critical to the health of a democratic society." Altman has publicly backed Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton.
Thiel has been embroiled in various controversies lately. Earlier this year, he was revealed as the secret donor to Hulk Hogan's case against Gawker. The lawsuit eventually led Gawker to declare bankruptcy.
The tech entrepreneur's support for Trump comes at a time when the Republican nominee is getting disavowed even by Republican party leaders. His $1.25 million donation includes Super Pac gifts and direct donations to the campaign.