Silicon Valley Is Awash in Chinese and Saudi Cash | Hacker News Reader

Silicon Valley Is Awash in Chinese and Saudi Cash

vox.com

43 pointspulisse5 comments

I think there is a difference between SA and CN money. SA is mainly looking for returns on investment (as they see petroleum’s long term viability diminish); they may seek some influence/favors but that is secondary. CN is mainly in it not for returns on investment (they have hot properties themselves), but rather they see it as an incubator and foundry for ideas and technical know-how they can leverage. One may have geopolitical implications in terms of optics, the other has bigger implications in terms of economic vitality and projection of power.

Anyone who tried to buy a house in SV in the last 5 years already knows this.

Turns out Chinese are better savers of dollars than Americans and they now want to do something with those dollars. Like buying houses, companies, building structures etc.

Meanwhile, the fed doesn't allow US savers to accumulate wealth outside of speculation by keeping interest rates artificially low

“People are saying, ‘The US doesn’t really welcome our money,’” said one Chinese-backed venture capitalist. “So we need to stop investing in the US.”

This regulatory scrutiny is the needle that pokes a hole in the SV cash bubble.

Has any startup in SV actually said no to an SA investment out of moral objection?

There is so much talk about how horrible SA is how we all want to change the world for a better place but when the money is put on the table people conveniently forget their morals.

There is also no push back against companies that take SA cash. Just look at Uber.

Nothing surprising, China exports so much stuff to USA. The so called trade deficit means they have more dollars that they need to spend. Interestingly China spends it on more risky SV ventures.

The cheapest thing USA produces today is the green paper called dollars. This is a win win.

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