Reid Hoffman Exits Microsoft Board to Lead AI Drug Startup Manus
· Julie Bort
Reid Hoffman is stepping down from Microsoft’s board after a ten year run. The billionaire entrepreneur and early PayPal mafia member says he needs to focus full time on his new…
Reid Hoffman is stepping down from Microsoft’s board after a ten year run. The billionaire entrepreneur and early PayPal mafia member says he needs to focus full time on his new company, Manus, an AI driven drug discovery startup. His departure is effective immediately, though Microsoft hasn’t announced a replacement yet.
Hoffman joined Microsoft in 2017, right after the LinkedIn acquisition. He was a key voice during Satya Nadella’s transformation of the company, especially around cloud and AI strategy. His background as a venture capitalist at Greylock and a co founder of LinkedIn gave him a unique seat at the table. He’s been one of the more outspoken board members on tech ethics and regulation, too.
Manus is still early stage, but the idea is to use machine learning to speed up how we find new medicines. That’s a space getting a lot of attention right now, with companies like Recursion and Insilico Medicine already showing real results. Hoffman has been investing in AI for years, so this feels less like a pivot and more like a natural next step.
It’s a notable shift for Microsoft. Having one of the most connected figures in Silicon Valley on your board was a strategic asset, especially as the AI race heats up. Hoffman’s exit doesn’t signal any rift, he’s just chasing what he sees as the next big thing. And with AI drug discovery promising to cut years off traditional R&D, that’s a bet worth watching.