Hoffman's AI Shift
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman exits Microsoft board for full-time focus on AI startup
Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder who joined Microsoft’s board after the company acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, is stepping down after roughly a decade to shift fully into “founder mode” with Manus, his AI-driven drug discovery startup. During his board tenure, Hoffman was involved in key Microsoft AI moves, including the company’s early $1 billion OpenAI investment and arrangements that helped advance its partnerships in the AI space. Manus, led by physician and author Siddhartha Mukherjee, has raised over $50 million and aims for “Move 37” capabilities—AI tools intended to surpass human creativity in chemistry to speed cancer-fighting drug development. Microsoft said Hoffman would not be up for re-election, citing issues including potential financial conflicts tied to his investments. The New York Times also reported that Hoffman’s board role carried reputational challenges, including his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which ended shortly before Epstein was arrested again.
Key Points
Microsoft said in a regulatory filing that Hoffman would not be up for re-election, and the NYT reported he also addressed the move in a podcast interview with CEO Satya Nadella—calling board service “a huge honor and pleasure.”
Hoffman previously stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2023 specifically due to a conflict of interest, after serving as an early OpenAI investor and participating in Microsoft’s initial $1 billion OpenAI investment in 2019.
Beyond OpenAI, Hoffman was also tied to Microsoft’s AI partnership/integration efforts through a “non-acquisition, acqui-hire” arrangement with Inflection AI, which involved a $650 million investment and helped lead to the hiring of Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyman.
In explaining why he’s returning to “founder mode,” Hoffman said he realized “we’re making significant strides with Manus,” adding: “It’s time for me to return to founder mode,” with the company working toward “Move 37” AI aimed at advancing cancer-fighting drug development.
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