Overview: Karla Jurvetson seemingly came out of nowhere. A Silicon Valley medical doctor and former wife of Silicon Valley investor Steve Jurvetson, she became one of the top liberal donors of 2020 with a huge gift to an Elizabeth Warren-supporting PAC. She’s a board member of Emily’s List and devoted to getting women elected to office.
Location: Los Altos, CA
Total Donated (2017-2020): $27,853,196
Top Recipients: Women Vote! Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC
Key Issues: Gender Inequality, Reproductive Rights, Voting Rights
Largest Donation to Date: $14.6 million to Persist PAC
Profile Main Body: It wasn’t long ago that Karla Jurvetson was just a California doctor with no national press attention. A Palo Alto native, she attended Stanford University for undergrad, where she met Steve Jurvetson, who would become a leading Silicon Valley investor and join the ranks of the world’s 100 richest people. The two married in 1990 and were together until 2016—sordid details about Steve’s infidelity and other allegations would reach the press in the following years. Karla works as a psychiatrist with a private practice in Los Altos, California, and while she certainly wasn’t a mega-donor before 2018, public records show she’s been a committed Democrat for two decades. FEC records show Jurvetson has for years made small gifts to a variety of Democrats, mostly in California, with a handful of five-figure gifts going to the DNC and to support Sen. Barbara Boxer.
In recent years, Jurvetson has shifted into an entirely new gear. She first made headlines in 2018 after her $6.9 million in donations to Democrats and liberal causes that cycle thrust her into the top of the Democratic donor ranks. She told Mercury News at the time that President Donald Trump’s election inspired her to get deeper into politics and she’s been committed in particular to getting women elected. Her campaign volunteer history includes canvassing for California Rep. Anna Eshoo, knocking doors for Hillary Clinton’s presidential runs, and in 2018, giving $5.4 million to Women Vote! (a gift delivered, puzzlingly, in the form of stocks), the fundraising arm of Emily’s List, where Jurvetson is currently a board member. In 2019, she hosted a $10,000-minimum DNC fundraiser at her home with President Barack Obama and DNC Chair Tom Perez.
Ideological Vibe: Jurvetson is a reliable liberal. Although her primary support is for female candidates, she is committed to Democratic principles and causes.
Hits and Misses: Jurvetson made one of the biggest individual donations to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 primary campaign, contributing $14.6 million. Relatively new to the mega-donor role, Jurvetson has adopted a wide-net approach to giving, making contributions to more than 500 races in the 2020 cycle, an uncommon approach for donors at her level.
Looking Forward: Given her priority of electing more women to political office, there is no reason to suspect that she will not continue the trend of giving both to candidates themselves and the PACs that support them.
Relationships: Board Member—Stanford Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University, Nueva School
Board of Directors—EMILY’s List
Founding Donor—Wildlife Conservation Network
Former Board Member—San Francisco Ballet, Peninsula Open Space Trust
Contact Information: (650) 941-9220