Laurene Powell Jobs funds project to ‘encourage civil online conversation’

Liberal billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs reportedly has a brand new mission: making the web nicer. 

Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and an proprietor of the Atlantic journal, is funding a brand new undertaking by her firm Emerson Collective that’s designed to “encourage civil on-line dialog,” the Information reported. 

The undertaking is reportedly being led by Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson and Emerson Collective chief expertise officer and managing director Raffi Krikorian.  The group has additionally introduced on ex-Wired journal govt editor Brian Barrett, in line with the Info. 

Emerson Collective didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark and particulars of the undertaking had been fuzzy, however a supply aware of the push informed the Info that the group isn’t trying to launch a social media website. 

Powell Jobs, who’s price an estimated $12.7 billion thanks largely to Apple and Disney shares she inherited from her late husband, has beforehand invested in information shops past the Atlantic together with Axios and scandal-plagued media firm OZY. 

She additionally endorsed Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. She has a “tight relationship” with Vice President Kamala Harris, Bloomberg reported in 2020 — and donated to Biden, Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker and Michael Bennett throughout the newest Democratic presidential major.

Final week, Powell Jobs stated at a convention that her late husband would have been sad concerning the present degree of political polarization in the USA. 

“I’d say not solely [would he not have been happy about] the polarization, not solely the truth that individuals are actually coming to blows inside households and communities and our nation, but additionally simply that he cherished our nation a lot,” Powell Jobs stated.

“He cherished California a lot, however he cherished our nation,” she added. “He cherished the private freedoms and liberties, but additionally the connectedness and accountability for one another.”

Powell Jobs’ firm, Emerson Collective, engages in philanthropy however makes use of an unconventional for-profit company construction.

Powell Jobs was named the “Least Transparent Mega-Giver” by Inside Philanthropy in 2019. 

“We have now no clue about how a lot she provides yearly, or the place, precisely, the cash goes,” the publication wrote.