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{{Short description|American business executive and diplomat (born 1956)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

factoids

| birth_place = Huntington, New York, U.S.| death_date = | death_place = Republican Party (United States)>RepublicanGriffith R. Harsh|1980}}| children = 2Princeton University (Bachelor of Arts>AB)Harvard University (MBA)WORK=FORBES, September 29, 2020, (September 2020)}}Margaret Cushing Whitman (born August 4, 1956) is an American business executive, diplomat, and politician serving as the United States ambassador to Kenya since 2022. Whitman was president and chief executive officer (CEO) of eBay from 1998 to 2008. Afterwards, she became president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from 2011 to 2015, during the company's major split. She then served as the CEO of Quibi from its launch in 2018 until its closure in 2020. A member of the Republican Party, she ran for governor of California but was defeated by former governor Jerry Brown in California's 2010 gubernatorial election. Whitman was a senior presidential campaign official for Republican Mitt Romney in both 2008 and 2012, although she supported Democrats Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in the 2016 presidential election and the 2020 presidential election, respectively.Whitman was an executive at The Walt Disney Company, where she was vice president of Strategic Planning throughout the 1980s. In the 1990s, she was an executive for DreamWorks, Procter & Gamble, and Hasbro. During Whitman's 10 years with eBay, she oversaw its expansion from 30 employees and $4 million in annual revenue, to more than 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue. In 2014, Whitman was named 20th in Forbes List of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.WEB, The World's 100 Most Powerful Women,weblink Forbes, June 24, 2014, In 2008, Whitman was cited by The New York Times as among the women most likely to become the first female president of the United States.NEWS, Kate, Zernike, She Just Might Be President Someday,weblink New York Times, May 18, 2008, She ran for governor of California in 2010, winning the Republican primary. The fifth-wealthiest woman in California with a net worth of $1.3 billion in 2010,NEWS,weblink #773 Margaret Whitman, Forbes, February 12, 2010, August 29, 2010, she spent, at the time, more of her own money on a single election than any other political candidate in American history.NEWS, York, Anthony, Whitman becomes biggest-spending candidate on a single campaign in U.S. history [Updated], September 15, 2010,weblink Los Angeles Times, November 1, 2011, NEWS, Cha, Ariana Eunjung, Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman breaks campaign financing records with $119 million contribution,weblink October 4, 2010, The Washington Post, September 16, 2010, The $144 million of her own fortune she used for the race (the campaign spent $178.5 million in total, including money from donors)NEWS, Associated Press, Final Meg Whitman tally: $178.5M, January 11, 2011,weblink Salon, May 1, 2011, was surpassed only by Michael Bloomberg in the 2020 presidential election.NEWS, Goldmacher, Shane, 2020-03-20, Michael Bloomberg Spent More Than $900 Million on His Failed Presidential Run, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2021-03-22, 0362-4331, Whitman was defeated by Democratic former Governor Jerry Brown in the 2010 California gubernatorial election, 54% to 41%.NEWS, Philip, Caulfield, Meg Whitman loses California governor race despite $160 million tab; Jerry Brown wins for 3rd time,weblink Daily News (New York), Daily News, New York, November 3, 2010, November 4, 2010, In December 2021, Whitman was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the United States Ambassador to Kenya. She was confirmed in July 2022 and took office the following month.

Early life and education

Whitman was born in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, the daughter of Margaret Cushing (née Goodhue) and Hendricks Hallett Whitman Jr.BOOK, Modern management: adding digital focus, Certo, Samuel C., Prentice Hall, February 15, 2002, 22, 978-0-13-067089-2, NEWS,weblink The New York Times, Meg Whitman to Wed June 7, April 20, 1980, May 12, 2010, NEWS,weblink Daily Boston Globe, Marriage Announcement 16 -- No Title, June 22, 1947, Her patrilineal great-great-great-grandfather, Elnathan Whitman, was a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. Through her father, Whitman is also a great-great-granddaughter of U.S. Senator Charles B. Farwell, of Illinois."Margaret Cushing 'Meg' Whitman" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117021114weblink |date=November 17, 2016 }}, rootsweb.ancestry.com. On her mother's side, she is a great-granddaughter of historian and jurist Munroe Smith and a great-great-granddaughter of General Henry S. Huidekoper. Her paternal grandmother, born Adelaide Chatfield-Taylor, was the daughter of writer Hobart Chatfield-Taylor and his wife, Rose Farwell Chatfield-Taylor, and the sister of economist Wayne Chatfield-Taylor.Whitman attended Cold Spring Harbor High School in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, graduating after three years in 1974. In her memoirs, she says she was in the top 10 of her class.BOOK, The Power of Many: Values for Success in Business and in Life, Whitman, Meg, Joan Hamilton, Crown Publishing Group, January 2010, 75, 978-0-307-59121-0, She wanted to be a doctor, so she studied math and science at Princeton University.ENCYCLOPEDIA,weblink Encyclopedia of World Biography, Meg Whitman Biography, September 30, 2010, However, after spending a summer selling advertisements for the magazine Business Today, she changed over to the study of economics.BOOK, The Ebay Phenomenon: The Story of a Brand That Taught Millions of Strangers to Trust One Another, Lewis, Elen, Marshall Cavendish, 2008, 55, 978-1-905736-10-2, She graduated with an A.B. in economics with honors from Princeton University in 1977 after completing an 83-page-long senior thesis titled "The Marketing of American Consumer Products in Western Europe."JOURNAL, Whitman, Margaret Cushing, 1977, The Marketing of American Consumer Products in Western Europe,weblink Whitman then obtained an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1979.Whitman is married to Griffith Harsh IV, Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of California, Davis, previously at Stanford University Medical Center.BOOK, The Perfect Store: Inside EBay, Cohen, Adam, Little, Brown & Company, 2003, 112, 978-0-316-16493-1,weblink They have two sons, Griffith Harsh V and William Harsh, both of whom had college careers marred by violent behavior.WEB, Pareene, Alex, More trouble for Meg Whitman's son,weblink Salon, October 23, 2010, 2 July 2023, NEWS, West, Jackson, Meet Meg Whitman's Big Men on Campus,weblink 2 July 2023, NBC, 18 December 2009, WEB, Rape accusation against Whitman's son kept quiet,weblink Cal Coast News, October 24, 2010, 2 July 2023, WEB, Jacobson, Jodi, Should Rape Charges Against Meg Whitman's Son Affect Her Bid for Governor?,weblink Rewire News Group, October 25, 2010, 2 July 2023, WEB, O'Connor, Maureen, Meg Whitman's Son's Arrest for Beating Up a Girl,weblink Gawker, 2 July 2023, Whitman has lived in Atherton, California, since March 1998.WEB, Mark, Berniker,weblink Atherton mansion madness: Homes of the rich and (tech) famous, CNBC, May 9, 2014, May 8, 2016, {{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Whitman College, a residential college completed in 2007 at Princeton University, was named for Meg Whitman following her $30 million donation.NEWS,weblink eBay CEO gives $30m to Princeton, Joey, Gardiner, ZDNet, February 5, 2002,

Career

Early work

Whitman began her career in 1979 as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. Whitman later moved on to work as a consultant at Bain & Company. She rose through the ranks to achieve the position of senior vice president.BOOK, Organizational behavior, Hellriegel, Slocum, Don, John W., Princeton, N.J. : Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 2008, NA, Whitman became vice president of strategic planning at the Walt Disney Company in 1989. Two years later, she joined the Stride Rite Corporation before becoming president and CEO of Florists' Transworld Delivery in 1995.BOOK, The Ebay Phenomenon: The Story of a Brand That Taught Millions of Strangers to Trust One Another, Lewis, Elen, Marshall Cavendish, 2008, 56, 978-1-905736-10-2, As Hasbro's Playskool Division general manager, starting in January 1997, she oversaw global management and marketing of two children's brands, Playskool and Mr. Potato Head. She also imported the UK's children's television show Teletubbies into the U.S.BOOK, Strategic management: awareness and change, John, Frank, Thompson Martin, Cengage Learning EMEA, 2005, 201, 978-1-84480-083-4,

eBay

(File:Meg Whitman at eBay Live 2005-01-13.jpg|thumb|Whitman speaking at eBay Live, 2005.)Whitman joined eBay in March 1998, when it had 30 employees and annual revenues of approximately $4 million.NEWS, Thomas, Owen, eBay founder fact checks John McCain,weblink October 8, 2009, Valleywag, Gawker Media, March 4, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081009161536weblink">weblink October 9, 2008, Despite initially not wanting to take on the role, during her time as CEO, through 2008, the company grew to approximately 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue.WEB, Schmidt, Ann, 2020-05-09, How Meg Whitman turned eBay into a multi-billion dollar company,weblink 2022-03-22, FOXBusiness, en-US, "Meg Whitman right for job". Santa Maria Times. December 9, 2009 Originally, when Whitman joined eBay, she found the website as a simple black and white webpage using the Courier typeface. On her first day, the site crashed for eight hours.BOOK, The arc of ambition: defining the leadership journey, Champy, Nohria, James, Nitin, Basic Books, 1999, 95, 978-0-7382-0103-0, registration,weblink She believed the site to be confusing and began by building a new executive team. Whitman organized the company by splitting it into 23 business categories. She then assigned executives to each, including some 35,000 subcategories.BOOK, Managing Now, Dessler, Phillips, Gary, Jean, Cengage Learning, 2007, 6, 978-0-618-74163-2, In 2002, soon after its initial public offering, PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay valued at $1.5 billion.NEWS,weblink EBay to Buy PayPal, a Rival in Online Payments, Richtel, Matt, July 9, 2002, The New York Times, November 23, 2014, In 2004, Whitman made several key changes in her management team. Jeff Jordan took over PayPal, Matt Bannick took over international operations, and Bill Cobb took over U.S. operations,BOOK, Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization, Michael, Hitt, R. Duane Ireland, Robert Hoskisson, Cengage South-Western, 2006, 82, 978-0-324-31694-0, which has the colorful U.S. logo, while each international site has unique branding.BOOK, The Official eBay Bible: The Newly Revised and Updated Version of the Most Comprehensive eBay How-To Manual for Everyone from First-Time Users to eBay Experts, Griffith, Jim, Penguin Group (USA), 2007, 257, 978-1-59240-301-1, Whitman picked John J. Donahoe for eBay in March 2005WEB,weblink eBay Inc. Leadership, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130701052554weblink">weblink July 1, 2013, as president of eBay Marketplaces, responsible for all elements of eBay's global ecommerce businesses.During Whitman's tenure as CEO, eBay completed the purchase of Skype for $4.1B in cash and stock in September 2005.WEB, Michael, Arrington, Skype sells to eBay for $4.1 Billion,weblink TechCrunch, September 12, 2005, November 3, 2010, eBay later admitted that it had overpaid and, in 2009, eBay sold Skype to a group of investors led by Silver Lake Partners at a valuation of $2.75B.WEB, Robin, Wauters, Breaking: eBay Completes Skype Sale At $2.75 Billion Valuation,weblink TechCrunch, November 19, 2009, November 3, 2010, WEB, Microsoft to acquire Skype for $8.5 billion,weblink CNET, May 10, 2011, {{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In 2011, after the first papers were filed for a possible IPO, Microsoft purchased Skype for US$8.5B.In June 2007, while preparing for an interview with Reuters, Whitman allegedly shoved her subordinate, communications employee Young Mi Kim. Of the incident, Whitman related, "In any high-pressure working environment, tensions can surface." Kim also stated, "Yes, we had an unfortunate incident, but we resolved it in a way that speaks well for her and for eBay." The matter was resolved after a $200,000 settlement.Mehta, Seema (June 15, 2010). "Meg Whitman reportedly shoved EBay employee in 2007". Los Angeles Times.Stone, Brad (June 14, 2010). "Settlement Was Paid in Whitman Shoving Incident". The New York Times.Whitman resigned as CEO of eBay in November 2007, but remained on the board and served as an advisor to new CEO John Donahoe until late 2008. She was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2008. "I've said for some time that 10 years is roughly the right time to stay at the helm at a company like ours", she said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that "it's time for new leadership, a new perspective and a new vision."NEWS, Whitman quits eBay CEO post as of March 31, Verne, Kopytoff, San Francisco Chronicle, January 24, 2008, Whitman has received numerous awards and accolades for her work at eBay. On more than one occasion, she was named among the top five most powerful women by Fortune magazine.NEWS, The Power 50,weblink Fortune, Katie, Benner, Eugenia Levinson, Rupali Arora, May 12, 2010, Harvard Business Review named her the eighth-best-performing CEO of the past decadeNEWS, The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World, Harvard Business Review, January 2010,weblink January 7, 2010, and the Financial Times named her as one of the 50 faces that shaped the decade.NEWS, Fifty Faces That Shaped The Decade, Financial Times, December 16, 2009,weblink January 7, 2010,

Hewlett-Packard

(File:Megwhitmanheadshot.jpg|thumb|Whitman speaking at a conference in 2009.)In January 2011, Whitman joined Hewlett-Packard's (HP) board of directors.NEWS,weblink Whitman to lead Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and be a chairperson in HP Inc., October 6, 2014, StockNewsDesk, October 7, 2014, October 11, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141011195905weblink">weblink dead, NEWS, Wisckol, Martin, January 21, 2011, Meg Whitman goes back to work, Orange County Register,weblink She was named CEO on September 22, 2011.PRESS RELEASE, HP Names Meg Whitman President and Chief Executive Officer,weblink September 22, 2011, Hewlett-Packard, September 22, 2011, As well as renewing focus on HP's Research & Development division, Whitman's major decision during her first year as CEO was to retain and recommit the firm to the PC business that her predecessor announced he was considering discarding.WEB,weblink Global Players: Meg Whitman, CEO, HP, Thomaswhite.com, February 21, 2012, November 16, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161116141245weblink">weblink dead, NEWS,weblink HP's 4Q to provide snapshot of new CEO's progress, Boston.com, February 21, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120723182122weblink">weblink July 23, 2012, In 2012, Whitman announced that HP would write down $8.8 billion of the value of Autonomy, the British software company it had purchased the previous year. The announcement eventually led to a civil case in the UK in 2019 at which Whitman testified to having not carried out "proper calculations of the write-down."NEWS, Meg Whitman accused of not doing calculations on Autonomy writedown,weblink The Financial Times, June 6, 2019, In May 2013, Bloomberg L.P. named Whitman "Most Underachieving CEO" – along with Apple's CEO Tim Cook (ranked 12th) and IBM's Virginia Rometty (ranked 10th) – whose stocks had all turned in the worst numbers relative to the broader market since the beginning of each CEO's tenure. HP's stock led the list by underperforming by 30.7 percentage points since Whitman took the job.NEWS, May 1, 2013, Biggest CEO Underachievers: Executives - Bloomberg Best (and Worst), Bloomberg,weblink live,weblink December 14, 2020, December 14, 2020, WEB, Bloomberg Best (and Worst): Biggest CEO Underachievers: Executives,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130607182646weblink">weblink June 7, 2013, Bloomberg, May 24, 2013, On July 26, 2017, Whitman stepped down as chair of HP Inc.'s board of directors, while remaining as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).WEB,weblink Meg Whitman steps down from HP board, Novet, Jordan, CNBC, July 26, 2017, July 28, 2017, Whitman fought off further rumours around her position at HPE, where she was quoted by The New York Times "So let me make this as clear as I can. I am fully committed to HPE and plan to remain the company's C.E.O. We have a lot of work still to do at HPE and I am not going anywhere" Isaac, Mike, "Uber’s Next C.E.O.? Meg Whitman Says It Won’t Be Her", New York Times, July 27, 2017.On November 21, 2017, it was announced Whitman was stepping down as the CEO of HPE, effective February 1, 2018, with HPE president Antonio Neri taking over as CEO.NEWS,weblink Here's why HPE CEO Meg Whitman is stepping down, Fortune, April 4, 2018, en, NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman stepping down as HP Enterprise CEO, Aripaka, Pushkala, U.S., April 4, 2018, en-US,

Quibi

Whitman was CEO of Quibi, a short-form media content app designed for smartphones. In September 2020, just 5 months after its launch, Quibi was considering sale or acquisition with a valuation of $500 million,WEB, 2020-09-23, Quibi may be for sale. But what is it worth, and who would buy it?,weblink 2020-10-27, Los Angeles Times, en-US, WEB, Why Quibi Failed,weblink Quartz, September 23, 2020, despite its $1.75 billion initial investment,WEB, Alexander, Julia, 2020-03-04, Quibi has raised close to $2 billion, and it hasn't even launched yet,weblink 2020-10-08, The Verge, en, having failed to meet subscriber targets.NEWS, 2020-09-21, Katzenberg's Quibi Mulls Sale After Growth Sputters, WSJ Reports, en, Bloomberg.com,weblink 2020-10-08, Coverage and analysis has blamed this failure on the concept itself,WEB, Stuart, Gwynedd, 2020-07-07, Insiders Say Quibi May Have Been Doomed from the Start,weblink 2020-10-08, Los Angeles Magazine, en-US, and failures of leadership from Whitman due to her lack of “experience in the industry of the company she is running.WEB, 2020-08-07, Meg Whitman and Predicting the Failure of Quibi,weblink 2020-10-08, TechSpective, en-US, ” The failure of the app was predicted by many in the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, with one critic, Rob Enderle listing this as the most recent in Whitman's “repetitive failures” due to her “inability to take responsibility for mistakes, an inability to support subordinates, a focus on shifting blame, and a lack of subject matter expertise.”

Boards

Whitman also served on the board of directors of the eBay Foundation, Summit Public Schools, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks SKG, until early 2009.WEB,weblink Meg Whitman Business Biography, Referenceforbusiness.com, May 27, 2010, NEWS, Lifsher, Marc, Ex-EBay chief Meg Whitman quits board seats,weblink January 6, 2009, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2009, She was appointed to the board of Goldman Sachs in October 2001 and then resigned in December 2002, amidst controversy that she had received shares in several public offerings managed by Goldman Sachs, although she denied any wrongdoing.WEB, Williams, Lance, Carla Marinucci, Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs,weblink California Watch, August 7, 2014, August 10, 2010, During the 2002 IPO "spinning" controversy, Whitman denied wrongdoing, telling eBay employees in a memo that Goldman had offered her stock deals because she was a private client of the firm, not in exchange for eBay's bond business.,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140727180118weblink">weblink July 27, 2014, dead, NEWS, Meg Whitman joins Goldman Sachs' Board of Directors,weblink October 1, 2001, Bain & Company, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110719120702weblink">weblink July 19, 2011, NEWS, Kane, Margaret, Whitman resigns from Goldman Sachs board,weblink December 20, 2002, cnet.com, NEWS, Lance, Williams, Carla Marinucci, Whitman's fortune entwined with Goldman Sachs,weblink April 10, 2010, californiawatch.org, August 7, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140727180118weblink">weblink July 27, 2014, dead, (see Ties to Goldman Sachs for further detail). In March 2011, she was appointed to a part-time special adviser at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.Kopytoff, Verne G. (March 30, 2011). "Meg Whitman Finds a Job". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2011.She has also joined the boards of Zipcar and Teach for America, and re-joined the board of Procter & Gamble.NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman Rejoins Procter & Gamble's Board, Dan, Sewell, The Huffington Post, February 11, 2011, PRESS RELEASE, Winter, Greg, Zipcar adds former eBay CEO Meg Whitman to its board of directors,weblink Zipcar, September 23, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110407014229weblink">weblink April 7, 2011, Whitman has also been a member of the board at SurveyMonkey.WEB,weblink Meg Whitman out, Serena Williams in as SurveyMonkey directors, Schubarth, Cromwell, June 1, 2017,

Sports investments

IGC

In 2018, Meg Whitman invested in and joined the board of the eSports organization Immortals Gaming Club.NEWS,weblink Former eBay, HP Chief Whitman Invests in Esports Startup, Farrell, Maureen, July 23, 2018, Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2018, en-US, 0099-9660,

FC Cincinnati

In November 2019, Meg Whitman purchased a minority stake in FC Cincinnati.NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman's Stake Values Cincinnati Soccer Team at $500 Million, Soshnick, Scott, November 27, 2019, Bloomberg News, Whitman will serve as the club's Alternate Governor on the MLS Board of Governors.

Biden administration

File:20221031-OSEC-OC-0002 (52468767780).jpg|thumb|Whitman speaking with Agriculture Deputy Secretary Jewel H. BronaughJewel H. BronaughOn December 8, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Whitman to serve as United States ambassador to Kenya.WEB, 2021-12-08, President Biden Announces Key Nominees,weblink 2021-12-08, The White House, en-US, Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee on May 24, 2022. The committee favorably reported her nomination on June 9, 2022. On July 14, 2022, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.WEB, July 14, 2022, PN1467 - Nomination of Margaret C. Whitman for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022),weblink July 15, 2022, www.congress.gov, She presented her credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 5, 2022.TWEET, USAmbKenya, Meg, Whitman, 1555786936228405248, Honored to have presented my credentials to President Kenyatta yesterday, 2022-08-06,

Philanthropy

Whitman founded a charitable foundation with husband Harsh on December 21, 2006, by donating to it 300,000 shares of eBay stock worth $9.4 million.NEWS, Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman Launches Family Foundation, Ina, Steiner, AuctionBytes.com, May 12, 2008,weblink August 14, 2010, By the end of its first year of operation, the Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C Whitman Charitable Foundation had $46 million in assets and has disbursed $125,000 to charitable causes. Most of the money disbursed went to the Environmental Defense Fund.NEWS, Meg Whitman's charitable foundation's biggest benefactor was environmental group, McLaughlin, Ken, San Jose Mercury News, November 7, 2009, In 2010, Warren Buffett asked Whitman to join the Giving Pledge in which billionaires would commit to donating half of their money to charity, and Whitman declined.NEWS, Whitman: No plans to join billionaires' pledge, Samantha, Young, San Jose Mercury News, August 5, 2010,weblink August 14, 2010, In 2011, the foundation donated $2.5 million to Summit Public Schools, which operates several charter schools in the San Jose area.NEWS,weblink Whitman gives $2.5M to Summit Schools, Lyanne, Melendez, KGO-TV, September 20, 2011, As of 2020, Meg Whitman is the national board chair of Teach for America."National Board of Directors Profiles" p. 2, teachforamerica.org.

Political career

Presidential endorsements and fundraising

File:Mitt Romney & Meg Whitman.jpg|thumb|Whitman with then-governor Mitt RomneyMitt RomneyWhitman was a supporter of the Mitt Romney 2008 presidential campaignWEB,weblink MTP transcript for October 21, 2007 - Meet the Press, online at NBC News, NBC News, October 21, 2007, May 27, 2010, and was a member of his national finance team.NEWS,weblink The New York Times, Romney Reaps $20 Million to Top G.O.P. Rivals, David D., Kirkpatrick, April 3, 2007, May 12, 2010, She was also listed as finance co-chair of Romney's exploratory committee.NEWS,weblink CNN, Election Center 2008: Candidates - Election & Politics News from CNN.com, May 12, 2010, After Romney stepped out of the race and endorsed John McCain, Whitman joined McCain's presidential campaign as a national co-chair.NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman Joins John McCain 2008 As National Co-Chair, McCain Campaign, McCain Campaign, August 13, 2008, March 14, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080814025919weblink">weblink August 14, 2008, McCain mentioned Whitman as a possible secretary of the treasury during the second presidential debate in 2008,"McCain, Obama discuss possible Treasury secretary picks". Reuters. October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008. but lost the election to Barack Obama.During the 2012 Republican primaries, Whitman endorsed Mitt Romney,Quinn, Michelle, "Whitman a mixed blessing for Mitt", politico.com, May 30, 2012. who praised her.Foster, Stephen D., Jr.Mitt Romney Praises Meg Whitman As News Breaks That Her Company Is Slashing 30,000 American Jobs {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812005453weblink|date=August 12, 2020}}, addictinginfo.org, May 20, 2012. Whitman's name was mentioned as a possible cabinet member in a Romney administration"HP-CEO-Whitman-Fiorina-Seen-as-Possible-Officials-in-a-Romney-Administration"{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, eweek.com. before he lost to Obama.During the 2016 Republican primaries, Whitman was finance co-chair of the Chris Christie 2016 presidential campaign. After Christie withdrew from the race and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump, Whitman criticized it as "an astonishing display of political opportunism" and called on other Christie donors to reject Trump,Christie Campaign's Finance Co-Chair Calls on Donors to Reject Trump, nbcnews.com, February 28, 2016 whom she compared to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.NEWS, Meg Whitman Likens Donald Trump to Fascists, Shaking G.O.P.'s Brief Truce,weblink June 11, 2016, NYT, July 22, 2016, In August, Whitman endorsed the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign, stating that to vote for Trump "out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division". Acknowledging policy differences with Clinton, Whitman nonetheless praised her "temperament, global experience and commitment to America's bedrock national values".NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman, Calling Donald Trump a 'Demagogue,' Will Support Hillary Clinton for President, Martin, Jonathan, August 2, 2016, The New York Times, August 3, 2016, NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman: I will vote for, and donate to, Hillary Clinton, Eli, Watkins, August 3, 2016, CNN, August 3, 2016, NEWS,weblink As a proud Republican..., Meg, Whitman, August 2, 2016, Facebook, August 3, 2016, She called on all Republicans "to put country first before party" and added that she would support the campaign financially.Whitman spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support of the party's presidential nominee Joe Biden.WEB, Democrats Announce Highlights from Opening Night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention: Uniting America,weblink 2020 Democratic National Convention, August 17, 2020, August 17, 2020, August 17, 2020,weblink dead,

2010 gubernatorial campaign

(File:Meg Whitman 2010 Sign.jpg|thumb|right|Whitman's campaign sign for Governor of California)On February 10, 2009, Whitman announced she would run for governor of California in the 2010 election.NEWS, Finnegan, Michael, Meg Whitman, EBay's former CEO, joins California governor's race, February 10, 2009, Los Angeles Times,weblink October 10, 2009, On June 8, 2010, Whitman won the Republican primary, becoming the first female to run on the Republican ticket and the third female overall to run for Governor of California after Dianne Feinstein in 1990 and Kathleen Brown in 1994. Her campaign was largely self-funded. She ultimately lost to Jerry Brown.According to final reports, Whitman spent $144 million from her own personal funds.NEWS, Final Meg Whitman tally: $178.5M,weblink January 31, 2011, Salon, September 7, 2011, As of 2010, this was more than any other self-funded political candidate in U.S. history.In June 2010, Whitman released a political ad, "A Lifetime in Politics A Legacy of Failure",VIDEO,weblinkweblink 2021-12-21, live, Jerry Brown: A Lifetime in Politics, A Legacy of Failure, June 22, 2010, Meg Whitman for Governor 2010 via YouTube, October 31, 2010, {{cbignore}} which seemingly contained one image of the FAIL Blog website, making it appear in the ad as if Jerry Brown had been the subject of one of the website's namesake "fails"."Meg Whitman's FAIL Blog FAIL". New York. June 25, 2010. Ben Huh, founder of the Cheezburger Network, of which failblog.org is a part, demanded an apology and the removal of the video, stating that the image was faked, and that the website is non-partisan and has never endorsed a particular political candidate or party.WEB,weblink Honesty Fail – FAIL Blog: Epic Fail Funny Pictures and Funny Videos of Owned, Pwned and Fail Moments, FAIL Blog, June 25, 2010, August 29, 2010, On November 2, 2010, at 11:35 pm, Whitman conceded the election to Brown, stating, "We've come up a little short."NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman Concedes in California Race., March 11, 2010, The Wall Street Journal,

Voting record

In 2010, The Sacramento Bee reported that Whitman did not vote for 28 years, after reviewing her voting records in California.NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman loses California governor race despite $160 million tab; Jerry Brown wins for 3rd time, Philip, Caulfield, Daily News (New York), November 3, 2010, Whitman has described her voting record as "inexcusable", apologized for it, and stated that she is happy to discuss the matter.NEWS, Cillizza, Chris, CA-Gov: Whitman Defends Handling of Vote Story, October 10, 2009, The Washington Post,weblink October 10, 2009, Chris Cillizza, Whitman answered questions about her record in September, replying, "And I think the reason {{sic|hide=y|is,| is}} for many years, I wasn't as engaged in the political process and should have been."NEWS, Riggs, Kevin, Whitman Explains Poor Voting Record,weblink September 29, 2010, Hearst, KCRA.com, October 19, 2010, {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Housekeeper controversy

In September 2010, Nicky Diaz Santillan revealed that she was employed in the Whitman household as a housekeeper and nanny from 2000 to 2009 despite her status as an illegal worker.Marinucci, Carla, San Francisco Chronicle, October 10, 2010.WEB,weblink Greg Siskind on Immigration Law and Policy: Whitman Nanny I-9 Shows Violations, American Immigration LLC, ILW.com, October 1, 2010, October 25, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101004025807weblink">weblink October 4, 2010, dead, Whitman's campaign released documents which she said Santillan provided prior to her employment including a driver's license, social security ID, and application.NEWS, Alan, Duke, Jessica Yellin,weblink Immigrant's abuse claims against Whitman rock California race, CNN, September 29, 2010, October 3, 2010, Santillan said Whitman knew she was undocumented, producing a 2003 letter from the Social Security Administration stating that her Social Security number did not match her name. Whitman initially stated that they "never received those letters",NEWS,weblink Whitman Goes on Defense About Ex-Maid's Status; Gloria Allred Promises to Prove Otherwise, cbsnews.com, Lucy, Madison, September 30, 2010, however, after a hand-written note on the document was shown, believed to be from Whitman's husband, they acknowledged they may have received it, but forgot.NEWS,weblink The New York Times, Adam, Nagourney, Questions on Ex-Housekeeper Emerge for a Candidate, September 30, 2010, NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman's Husband: It's 'Possible' I Saw Letter, CBS News, October 1, 2010, October 1, 2010, Lucy, Madison, Santillan's attorney, Gloria Allred, states that Santillan was fired for the sake of the campaign.Winter, Michael, "Ex-nanny alleges Meg Whitman knew she wasn't legal for 7 years", USA Today, September 29, 2010. Whitman's campaign maintained that this was a political attack, stating that Allred is a Jerry Brown supporter.NEWS,weblink Whitman says illegal-worker allegations a 'lie', San Francisco Chronicle, February 25, 2010, September 30, 2010, Carla, Marinucci, John Wildermuth, Joe Garofoli, WEB,weblink Whitman: 'We Did Everything That We Could', NBC Los Angeles, October 3, 2010, Brown, Allred and Santillan all denied this.Skelton, George, weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101007080536weblink">"The Former EBay Chief Falters on Her Illegal Immigration Rhetoric", Los Angeles Times, October 4, 2010.Crystal Williams, director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, stated, "Not only is accepting the documents all the law required [Whitman] to do, but there's a counterbalancing anti-discrimination law that keeps her from probing further or demanding different documents."NEWS, Carolyn, Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau,weblink Whitman within law, immigration lawyers say, San Francisco Chronicle, February 25, 2010, October 3, 2010, Others disagreed; immigration lawyer Greg Siskind stated Whitman was the employer, and the documents by law needed to be signed by her but were not, nor did they have a Social Security number on them. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that Whitman "hired her, paid her and had direct contact with her for nine years", so should have known her legal status.Naverrette, Ruben, Jr., "Immigration Double Standard", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 17, 2010. The Los Angeles Times noted that Latino voters were more likely interested that Whitman treated Santillan "like a piece of garbage" when the maid asked for help finding an immigration attorney, and Whitman allegedly stated "you don't know me and I don't know you".Montopoli, Brian, (September 29, 2010), "Meg Whitman Housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan Claims Mistreatment, Unfair Termination", CBS News

Ties to Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs, whose executives donated $100,000 to the Whitman campaign, manages a part of Whitman's fortune. As CEO of eBay, Whitman earned approximately $1.78 million resulting from a practice known as spinning whereby executives who did business with Goldman Sachs could reap profits by getting early deals before the public on hot IPOs offered by the bank. Whitman later resigned from the Goldman Sachs board after some expressed concern over her receiving shares from Goldman Sachs. In commenting on Whitman's resignation from the Goldman Sachs board, eBay spokesman Henry Gomez told The Wall Street Journal at the time that, "If we wanted to use Goldman's services, she doesn't want there to be even the slightest perception of any conflict. She's doing this because she thinks quite highly of the firm."WEB, EBay CEO quits Goldman board,weblink CNN Money, August 7, 2014, December 20, 2002, While Whitman was on Goldman Sachs' board, she served on the compensation committee, which approved multimillion-dollar bonus packages for then-CEO Henry Paulson and his top aides. Public domain documents reveal that Whitman has a multimillion-dollar stake in 21 investment funds managed by Goldman Sachs. Given Goldman Sachs' major investments in California state finances, all these ties to Goldman Sachs led to considerable controversy during the gubernatorial campaign. In response, Whitman vowed to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, and publicly stated that she would immediately sell her Goldman Sachs stock and put her Goldman Sachs-managed investments in a blind trust if elected governor.

Political positions

File:Econround (2525706918).jpg|thumb|Whitman (far right) at a conference with John T. Chambers, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and U.S. Senator John McCainJohn McCainWhile running for governor, Whitman emphasized three major areas: job creation, reduced state government spending, and reform of the state's K-12 educational system. She argued that it is best to start only a few things and finish them, instead of starting a lot of things and finishing few of them.NEWS, McLaughlin, Ken, Campbell takes Silicon Valley in new San Jose State poll,weblink San Jose Mercury News, November 16, 2009, December 26, 2009,

Environment

Whitman said that if elected, on her first dayNEWS, Gardner, Michael, Emissions initiative in Whitman's cross hairs,weblink October 5, 2009, San Diego Union Tribune, October 5, 2009, she would have suspended AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, for a year to study its potential economic implications.NEWS,weblink Whitman says she'd suspend 'green' initiative, September 24, 2009, San Diego Union Tribune, September 24, 2009, AB 32 requires the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020. At the state Republican Convention in March 2010, Whitman described California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's climate change bill as a "job-killer".NEWS,weblink Lots of tough talk at state GOP convention, March 14, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle, March 15, 2010, Carla, Marinucci, Joe Garofoli, Whitman opposed Proposition 23, which would delay the global warming law AB 32 until California's unemployment falls to 5.5 percent and stays there for a year, stating that the proposition did not reasonably balance the need to protect jobs with the need to preserve environment.NEWS, Young, Samantha, Associated Press, Whitman opposes measure delaying Calif climate law,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101106072427weblink">weblink dead, November 6, 2010, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, September 24, 2010, On water issues, Whitman opposed further restrictions on water supply in the Central Valley, and she suggested that President Obama should overturn a federal judge's ruling under provisions in the Endangered Species Act which reduced water supplies another 5% to 7%.weblink" title="webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100820032423weblink">"Meg Whitman: Let the water flow". Fresno Bee. June 12, 2009

Illegal immigration

Whitman said that Arizona's approach to illegal immigration with Arizona SB 1070 is wrong and that there are better ways to solve the problem.NEWS,weblink Whitman in Spanish: I'm Against Arizona's Law, Chris, Good, The Atlantic, October 26, 2010, She said that, if she had lived in California in 1994, she would have voted against Proposition 187 concerning illegal immigrants.NEWS, Dibble, Sandra, Path to legalization needed, GOP candidate Whitman says, The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 29, 2009,weblink In an op-ed during her gubernatorial campaign, Whitman wrote, "Clearly, when examining our positions on immigration, there is very little over which Jerry Brown and I disagree".WEB, Meg Whitman op-ed: Brown and I the same on immigration, Sacramento Bee, July 14, 2010,weblink August 9, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100825004851weblink">weblink August 25, 2010, She stated that illegal immigrant students should be prohibited from attending state-funded institutions of higher education."The Ad Campaign", New York Times, June 18, 2010.WEB,weblink Policy Pages – Other Priorities – Meg Whitman for Governor of California, Megwhitman.com, August 29, 2010, {{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Currently, California state law permits this.The Sacramento Bee, "Illegal immigrants college enrollment", August 6, 2010 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510205149weblink |date=May 10, 2010 }} In 2009, Whitman called for "a path to legalization" of illegal immigrants. In a 2010 interview on television station KTLA, Whitman said, "I want to hold employers accountable for hiring only documented workers."WEB, In Case You Missed It: Meg Whitman's interview on KTLA, Meg Whitman for Governor, August 11, 2010,weblinkweblink dead, August 19, 2010, October 11, 2010,

Marriage, abortion and marijuana

During the 2010 California gubernatorial election, Whitman supported California's Proposition 8, which reversed In re Marriage Cases and defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman in the state. Whitman also criticized Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown for not defending Proposition 8 in the federal judicial system.NEWS, Marinucci, Carla, Garofoli, Joe,weblink Meg Whitman says state should defend Prop. 8, San Francisco Chronicle, August 21, 2010, August 29, 2010, However, on February 26, 2013, Whitman confirmed that she had reversed that opinion. Whitman stated, "At the time, I believed the people of California had weighed in on this question and that overturning the will of the people was the wrong approach," and "The facts and arguments presented during the legal process since then have had a profound impact on my thinking."NEWS, Meg Whitman signs legal brief backing gay marriage in Prop. 8 case,weblink February 27, 2013, Los Angeles Times, February 26, 2013, Whitman also believes that gay and lesbian couples should be permitted to adopt children.NEWS, Finnegan, Michael, GOP gubernatorial candidate Whitman outlines stands,weblink February 11, 2009, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2009, Whitman supports abortion rights.NEWS, Marinucci, Carla, Meg Whitman makes case on how she's different,weblink February 13, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle, February 22, 2009, Whitman has said that the legalization of marijuana is not what any law enforcement person would suggest for any reason and that "this is the worst idea [she has] ever seen."NEWS, Meg Whitman to speak in Seal Beach,weblink March 16, 2010, April 7, 2014,

Infrastructure

Whitman does not support the California High-Speed Rail project. In a 2010 letter to the Sacramento BeeNEWS,weblink The Buzz: Atherton resident Meg Whitman not too keen on bullet train, Sacramento Bee, October 24, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100719210211weblink">weblink July 19, 2010, Whitman's spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said, "Meg believes the state cannot afford the costs associated with high-speed rail due to our current fiscal crisis." Her opponent Jerry Brown was in favor of the project.Whitman has made monetary donations to various candidates and political action committees (PAC). While these have gone to both Republicans and Democrats, the donations are weighted to Republicans.WEB,weblink Meg Whitman at, Newsmeat.com, May 19, 2010, May 27, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100205142144weblink">weblink February 5, 2010, Though Whitman has contributed to a few Democrats, including Senator Barbara Boxer; donating $4,000 to her campaign and serving on the "Friends of Boxer" committee in 2004, she donated more than $225,000 during the same period to Republicans, eBay's PAC and to Americans for a Republican Majority, the PAC of former Congressman Tom DeLay.WEB, Weigel, David,weblink Washingtonindependent.com, Washingtonindependent.com, May 27, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100525004150weblink">weblink May 25, 2010, mdy-all, NEWS, Marinucci, Carla,weblink San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, October 2, 2009, May 27, 2010,

Awards

In 2017, Whitman was the Commencement speaker for Carnegie Mellon University and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree.NEWS,weblink Meg Whitman Named Commencement Speaker, Carnegie Mellon University, cmu.edu, April 13, 2017, September 21, 2018, en,

See also

• List of richest American politicians

References

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Further reading

• BOOK, Whitman, Meg, The Power of Many, Crown, San Francisco, 2010, 978-0-307-59121-0,

External links

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100107115106weblink">Meg Whitman for Governor official campaign site
• Billionaire Women We Envy, Forbes, March 6, 2007
• Is California Sold on Governor Meg Whitman? {{Subscription required}}, Sheelah Kolhatkar, Time Magazine, December 14, 2009
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304072932weblink">Meg Whitman Celebrates Gubernatorial Nomination with husband Dr. Griffith Harsh, Vitals, June 9, 2010
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130101054513weblink">Meg Whitman Video produced by (Makers: Women Who Make America)
• Meg Whitman on Breaking it Down with Frank MacKay
• {{C-SPAN|58256}}

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