ISTANBUL

Sequoia Capital’s chief operating officer, Sumaiya Balbale, resigned after a partner at the firm posted a controversial message about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, targeting his cultural and religious values, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

Balbale, a practicing Muslim who has spoken publicly about how her gender, race, and faith shaped her career, departed in August after five years at the firm. The report said Shaun Maguire’s social media post was the catalyst for her decision.

In July, Maguire wrote on US social media company X that Mamdani “comes from a culture that lies about everything. It’s literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda. The West will learn this lesson the hard way.”

According to the report, Sequoia’s leadership cited Maguire’s right to free speech in defending its decision not to reprimand him.

The dispute escalated when more than a thousand industry experts and startup leaders signed an open letter calling for Maguire to face disciplinary action. Sovereign wealth funds from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, among Sequoia’s most prominent investors, were also likely angered by the remarks.

Maguire later said his criticism targeted Islamism as a political ideology, not the wider Muslim community.

Many coworkers expressed disapproval of Maguire's social media remarks. Senior officials encouraged him to consider the possible harm to the firm's reputation, even as they backed his right to free expression.

Maguire also drew criticism earlier this year for a social media post supporting the German far-right AfD party.

New York City elections

The New York City mayoral election is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Mamdani holds a double-digit lead over Andrew Cuomo, his closest competitor in the polls. If elected, he would become the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor of the nation’s largest city. He previously defeated Cuomo for the Democratic nomination in June with a seven-point margin.