Douglas Leone

Douglas M. Leone
Born	(1957-07-04) July 4, 1957 Genoa, Italy
Occupation(s)	Venture capitalist, businessman
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Managing partner at Sequoia Capital
Spouse	Patricia Perkins-Leone

Douglas M. Leone (born July 4, 1957) is an American venture capitalist and billionaire who formerly served as managing partner at Sequoia Capital, stepping down from that role in 2022 while retaining his position as a general partner. As of August 2022, his estimated net worth was approximately US$6.1 billion.

Early life

Leone entered the world in Genoa, Italy, and relocated to the United States at the age of 11, ultimately settling in Mount Vernon, New York. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1979, followed by a master's degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1986. He then earned a master's in management as a Sloan Fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1988.

Career

Leone's professional journey began with roles in sales and management at companies such as Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Prime Computer. He joined the ranks of Sequoia Capital in 1988, ascended to managing partner by 1996, and was appointed global managing partner in 2012.

In 2017, Forbes recognized him among the top ten technology investors in the United States. Leone led Sequoia’s investments in notable firms including Aruba Networks, Hyperion/Arbor Software, International Network Services, Medallia, Netezza, PlanGrid, Rackspace, RingCentral, and ServiceNow. Additionally, he played a central role in Sequoia’s strategic expansion into markets such as China and India.

His net worth was valued at US$2.9 billion in 2017 (ranking #693 on Forbes World's Billionaires list), increased to US$3.5 billion by 2020 (#538), and reached US$6.9 billion by 2022 (#350).

Together with his wife, Leone contributed $100,000 toward President Donald Trump's re-election campaign in 2020. He also participated on Trump's economic reopening task force during the COVID-19 crisis. Media reports suggested that Leone leveraged his connections within the Trump Administration to assist with the sale of TikTok, an investment held by Sequoia. However, following the January 2021 Capitol events, Leone publicly withdrew his support for Trump.

In April 2022, Sequoia announced that Roelof Botha would take over as senior steward overseeing global brand and operations after Leone’s 65th birthday. Despite stepping down from day-to-day leadership, Leone continues as a general partner within Sequoia’s existing funds.

Leone is also an investor in America PAC, which backs the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign.

Boards

Leone holds board positions at multiple companies including ActionIQ, Cyera, Island, Nubank, strongDM, Trade Republic, and Wiz. At ActionIQ, he supports advancements in data management platforms aimed at marketing professionals. He has committed to serving on Cyera’s board for at least ten years. Island has brought him on alongside other veteran venture capitalists to guide its strategic development. As a board member of Nubank, Leone contributes to the company's plans to expand beyond Latin American markets. He advises strongDM following its $17 million Series A financing round. At Wiz, he plays a key role within leadership directing innovation in cloud security backed by significant venture funding.

Personal life

Leone is married to Patricia Perkins-Leone; they have four children and reside in Atherton, California. The family has pursued development of an oceanfront estate located in Makena, Maui; however, this project was halted following a ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court in 2017.

In May 2021, Leone received the honor of Officer (Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia) within the Order of the Star of Italy.