National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is, for the third year in a row, urging shareholders of Microsoft Corporation to vote AGAINST the re-election of LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman (pictured above) to the company’s board of directors at its 2025 annual meeting, which is scheduled for December 5.
In a proxy memorandum report circulated to fellow investors in the company, which it also filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, NLPC cites a pattern of poor judgment, intemperate rhetoric, and ethically questionable political activities by Hoffman that it says are inconsistent with Microsoft’s fiduciary and reputational standards.
“Board service is a privilege, not an entitlement,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “Reid Hoffman’s record shows a pattern of dubious political tactics and reckless rhetoric that undermine the ‘Trust Code’ Microsoft claims to uphold.”
NLPC filed similar reports in opposition to Hoffman’s board nomination in 2023 and 2024. Examples of Hoffman’s poor judgment and unhinged rhetoric cited by NLPC in the past include his association with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, whose private island he visited, and his wish for the death of Donald Trump just days before an attempted assassination in Butler, Pa., on the now re-elected President.
NLPC’s Key Concerns
Temperament and Ethics: NLPC’s filing details Hoffman’s history of funding and excusing political “dirty tricks” and lawfare campaigns —including Project Birmingham, ACRONYM/Courier Newsroom, and his financing of E. Jean Carroll’s litigation against Donald Trump. These episodes reflect a habit of evasion and reckless conduct that shareholders should not tolerate in a director of one of the world’s most influential companies.
Federal Credibility Risk: NLPC notes that Hoffman’s 2025 departure from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Board underscores his unsuitability for sensitive roles requiring non-partisan professionalism. Given Microsoft’s status as a major federal cloud and AI contractor, his behavior poses a reputational risk with government partners.
Ongoing Conflicts and Public Feuds: Hoffman’s continued venture entanglements in artificial intelligence and his public feuds with industry figures such as Elon Musk demonstrate what NLPC calls “pettiness and partisanship at the expense of shareholder trust.” The filing also flags his ties to litigation-funding networks and “astroturf” political operations that masquerade as grass-roots efforts.
Hypocrisy on ‘Trust and Institutions’: Although Hoffman recently launched a $10 million “trust in institutions” initiative, NLPC argues his record of funding deceptive political vehicles and lawfare belies that messaging. “Trust is not a press release; it is a pattern,” the filing states.
NLPC concludes that Hoffman’s “methods and evasions are inconsistent with Microsoft’s values and the duties of a director,” arguing that his presence on the board risks Microsoft’s standing with its government and enterprise partners and undermines shareholder confidence.
Read NLPC’s full report to Microsoft investors, filed with the SEC, here.
