March 31 - Sequoia Capital has named Doug Leone as chairman, partners at the venture capital firm said in posts on X on Tuesday.
Leone has been affiliated with Sequoia since 1988. He had passed the senior steward role to Roelof Botha in 2022 but continued to represent Sequoia on the boards of the firms portfolio companies and remained a general partner in the funds that were already in place.
Sequoia traces its founding back to Don Valentine in 1972 and established itself as an early backer of several prominent technology companies, including Alphabets Google and YouTube, Apple, and Cisco. The firm has since been recognized as one of the leading global venture capital outfits.
Leone assumed leadership responsibilities from Valentine in 1996, doing so alongside fellow venture capitalist Michael Moritz. In 2012, Moritz stepped back from day-to-day management for health reasons, after which Leone became the sole leader of the firm.
More recently, in November 2025, Roelof Botha stepped down from his role as managing partner. He was succeeded as co-stewards by investing veterans Alfred Lin and Pat Grady.
Partners commented on Leones return to a more formal leadership position in posts on X. Pat Grady said the decision followed a recognition of Leones ongoing capacity to contribute as an investor:
"When we realized how much gas Doug has left in the tank, we invited him to ramp back up as an investor at Sequoia," Grady said Tuesday on X.
Alfred Lin offered remarks on Leones fit with founders and the firm at a pivotal moment for technology:
"Nobody embraces change like Doug, and for that reason, and many others, he will be a great partner to Sequoia founders during the most significant technology shift of our lifetimes," Lin said.
The announcements were delivered through partner posts on X and confirm a sequence of leadership transitions within Sequoia, from its founding through the 1996 handover, the 2012 management change involving Moritz, the 2022 transfer of the senior steward role to Botha, and the 2025 appointment of Lin and Grady as co-stewards. The posts on Tuesday formally place Leone back into a named leadership role as chairman.
The statements and timeline provided in the partners posts outline the firms internal succession and the role Leone will hold; the posts do not expand on additional operational changes beyond the appointment and the quoted remarks from partners.