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Indian-American billionaire Vinod Khosla reacts to pro-ICE post by his firm’s MD

India-born billionaire Vinod Khosla disagreed with a pro-ICE post made by Keith Rabois, the MD of his American venture capital firm Khosla Ventures

Updated on: Jan 27, 2026, 10:08:22 IST
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India-born billionaire Vinod Khosla disagreed with a pro-ICE post made by Keith Rabois, the managing director of his American venture capital firm Khosla Ventures. The public disagreement came after Rabois commented on the fatal shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis that have sparked massive outrage in the United States.

Vinod Khosla is the founder of venture capital firm Khosla Ventures. (khoslaventures.com)
Vinod Khosla is the founder of venture capital firm Khosla Ventures. (khoslaventures.com)

What did Keith Rabois say?

Keith Rabois, a managing director at Khosla Ventures, wrote in a post on X on Saturday that “no law enforcement has shot an innocent person”.

“Illegals are committing violent crimes everyday,” he added.

On facing criticism for his statement, the American executive doubled down on his stance. He suggested that the people shot by ICE are “felons” and added that it is “not racist to oppose criminals.”

Anger has been simmering in Minneapolis for weeks, sparked after federal agents shot and killed Renee Good on January 7. The anger deepened when Alex Pretti became the second US citizen killed during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

How did Vinod Khosla react?

Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures, did not agree with Rabois’s stance.

When Khosla Ventures partner Ethan Choi said that Rabois did not represent the firm’s stance, Khosla agreed with him.

“I want to make it clear that Keith doesn't represent everyone's views here at @khoslaventures, at least not mine,” Ethan Choi wrote on X.

Vinod Khosla said he agreed with Choi, labelling ICE agents as “vigilantes running amuck”. He added that the “video was sickening to watch”, likely referring to the disturbing footage of Pretti being shot.

“I agree with Ethan Choi. Macho ICE vigilantes running amuck empowered by a conscious-less administration. The video was sickening to watch and the storytelling without facts or with invented fictitious facts by authorities almost unimaginable in a civilized society. ICE personnel must have ice water running thru their veins to treat other human beings this way. There is politics but humanity should transcend that,” wrote the Indian-American billionaire.

(Also read: Indian-American bizman Vinod Khosla blasts Trump after hosting Biden: ‘Do you want your kids to be like him?’)

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More