Co-owner of Golden State Warriors says he doesn’t care about Uyghurs

“Let’s be honest: Nobody cares about the Uyghurs,” Palihapitiya said in an episode of All In, a podcast he co-hosts with Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg. “[Jason] brings it up because [he] really cares, and I think it’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care.”

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Palihapitiya’s remarks were sparked by Calcanis praising President Joe Biden’s decision to condemn China’s treatment of the Uyghurs. The clip captured Twitter’s attention Monday after Palihapitiya’s words were posted by American Foreign Policy Council fellow Michael Sobolik.

Palihapitiya’s words appear to bother Calcanis, who asks, “You’re telling me you personally don’t care?” The CEO responds, saying, “I’m telling you a very hard truth. Of all the things I care about, it is below my line.”

Palihapitiya goes on to say he tends to care about more economic or domestic issues, such as the supply chain, the threat of China invading Taiwan, and climate change.

“If you’re asking me, ‘Do I care about a segment of a class of people in another country?’ Not until we can take care of ourselves … And I think a lot of people believe that.”

Palihapitiya would later dismiss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, describing it as a “luxury belief” because the United States is not doing enough domestically to care for its own people. Palihapitiya would then compare the poor treatment of prisoners inside Rikers Island to the genocide of the Uyghurs.

Calcanis pushes back on Palihapitiya’s words, arguing that approaching the Uyghur situation with a “whataboutist” approach is unrealistic. When Calcanis discusses how the Uyghur treatment resembles the Holocaust and how the public can respond, Palihapitiya pivots to how his businesses are “fortifying” the U.S. supply chain. However, he says he is doing so from a “practical capitalist” perspective, not because of moral positioning.

Palihapitiya claims that he is uncertain that China is a dictatorship or that he can morally judge China. The CEO even claims that NATO, Europe, and the U.S.’s silence on the Uyghurs may be because someone manipulated the data points to create a narrative that is not true.

The U.S. and European Union joined together in 2021 to sanction several Chinese officials related to the oppression of Uyghurs and to limit trade with China in the Xinjiang region. The U.S. has also blacklisted several companies tied to the enslavement of Uyghur Muslims.

Palihapitiya tweeted out a brief statement Monday evening that he said offered “clarifying comments” and noted that “important issues deserve nuanced discussions.”

“In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy. I acknowledge that entirely,” he said in the statement. “As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own set of human rights issues so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience. To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop.”

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Palihapitiya currently owns 10% of the Golden State Warriors, according to the Business of Business. The company’s majority share belongs to business executives Joe Lacob and Peter Guber.

The NBA has come under scrutiny over its silence on Chinese policy matters, with critics blaming the capitulation on its significant presence in Chinese markets. Congress has also called out players who may have cut deals with Chinese sportswear companies.