Marc Benioff (1964 - )

There is no better straight ally of the LGBTQ+ community than billionaire businessman Marc Benioff, the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce and the owner of Time magazine. With a net worth of $8.9 billion, Benioff has come a long way from selling Atari video games from his home at age 17, his later internship at Apple and his work as a customer service rep at Oracle. Today his software company is the biggest employer in San Francisco and the anchor tenant of Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in that city. Benioff founded Salesforce in 1999 and is credited with changing the face of software via the internet. His company was one of the first to allow individuals to develop their own software applications, using Salesforce architecture and Cloud. His book, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change reflects his commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility. As an ally, he has created a workplace that supports diversity and inclusion – “a culture of belonging” that places the interests of society above profits and builds trust, safety and camaraderie. Time and time again, he has defended LGBTQ equality by taking an unapologetic stand against discriminatory laws that target the LGBTQ community across the country, including bills in Indiana and Georgia that would have allowed businesses to refuse to serve LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples.

​He has been an outspoken advocate for anything that does not foster equality for all – from LGBTQ rights to homelessness, from equal pay for women to public education and public health. Together with his wife, Lynne, a marketing consultant and member of numerous philanthropic boards, he has donated millions to charitable causes that continue to make a difference and seek to improve human relations everywhere.