The billionaire founder of eBay has donated nearly $2 million to defund the police – while also making a substantial contribution to a private security startup called “Uber for bodyguards.”
Pierre Omidyar donated $500,000 through his philanthropic entity, the Omidyar Network, to organizations protesting the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Omidyar Network gave $100,000 to Equity and Transformation, a local group that partnered with Movement for Black Lives to help “fund the police.”
Two other organizations affiliated with the Omidyar Network, PolicyLink and Democracy Fund, have said Independent journalist Lee Fang who discovered these financial transactions.
This funding was allocated to support the creation of DefundPolice.org, an online platform used by lawyers to disband or abolish the police force.
The founder of the renowned e-commerce platform has a reported net worth of $8.91 billion
Omidyar’s mega estate in Nevada features a whopping 75,000 square feet of living space with 11 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, an indoor racquetball court and more
Omidyar Network donated $100,000 to Equity and Transformation, a local group that partnered with Movement for Black Lives to help “defund the police”
The Movement for Black Lives has recently made its position on the phasing out of police money by stating unequivocally, “When we say ‘end and abolish the police,’ we mean just that.” These words reinforce the organization’s commitment to their cause.
Meanwhile, according to Fang, Omidyar has invested in start-ups that specialize in monetizing the growing demand for private security.
One of those investments is Bond, an app that instantly delivers licensed bodyguards. The app is described as a way for the customer to order a bodyguard as easily as a takeout, said founder and former Special Forces for the Israeli Defense Forces Doron Kempel.
Bond, a personal security platform available for iOS and Android, allows users to hire their own bodyguards to escort them to meetings, drive them home, or even take them safely from one bar to another during a wild night out.
The app also offers location tracking, video surveillance and agents notifying authorities and an emergency contact if needed
Founded in 2017, the company raised $72 million in funding, including investment from Omidyar, according to the New York Post.
The “Uber for Bodyguards” app has explicitly pitched itself as a “service that benefits from concerns about deteriorating public safety,” Fang said.
The app advertises, “In most situations where you, loved ones, or employees feel uncomfortable or unsafe, it’s too early to call 911 since it’s not yet an emergency, but you still want a professional by your side.” Then it may be too late to complete a 911 call because you are unable. Bond Security Agents are at your side 24/7 to proactively monitor and intervene before it becomes an emergency.”
The ‘Uber for bodyguards’ app has explicitly pitched itself as a ‘service that benefits from concerns about deteriorating public safety’
This funding has been allocated to support the creation of DefundPolice.org, an online platform used by lawyers to disband or abolish the police force
Both the Bond app and Deep Sentinel have used the rising crime and police moment denial as a way to advertise their apps
The billionaire founder of eBay who donated nearly $2 million to defund the police made a substantial contribution to a private security startup,
Security agents can also watch via video and contact emergency services
Omidyar has also invested in Deep Sentinel, an AI-powered security camera system used to identify intruders, according to Fang.
Both the Bond app and Deep Sentinel have used the rising crime and Defund the Police moment as a way to advertise their apps.
The founder of the renowned e-commerce platform has a net worth of $8.91 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The mega estate of Omidyar in Nevada boasts a whopping 75,000 square feet of living space with 11 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, indoor racquetball court, indoor endless, swimming pool, indoor rock climbing wall.
As of 2023, according to Forbes magazine, he is the 220th richest person in the world. Omidyar owns interests in resort towns in California and Mexico and develops real estate in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
He is also the founder of First Look Media, the parent company of the online news site The Intercept and the entertainment company Topic Studios.
Forbes named Omidyar one of the 25 Most Generous People in the United States this year. He has provided thousands of Kenyans with free income for 12 years and donated $50 million to the Honolulu-based Hawaii Community Foundation.
He also supported Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who claims the company puts “profits before people.”
Dailymail.com has reached out to Omidyar Network for comment.