The alliance between Kamala Harris and Laurene Powell Jobs is a genuine friendship that has thrust the press-shy billionaire philanthropist into the p

Behind Kamala Harris’s Rise: Silicon Valley’s Wealthiest Woman

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2024-09-24 20:30:03

The alliance between Kamala Harris and Laurene Powell Jobs is a genuine friendship that has thrust the press-shy billionaire philanthropist into the political spotlight.

After Vice President Joe Biden swore in Kamala Harris as a United States senator in January 2017, they posed for a customary photo in the Capitol with her family. Then she asked her future boss for a favor: Would he indulge in one more photo?

The first member of Ms. Harris’s entourage to approach Mr. Biden just happened to be one of the richest people in the world: Laurene Powell Jobs.

Ms. Powell Jobs, the philanthropist who controls a fortune worth over $11 billion, stood just behind Mr. Biden’s right shoulder, joining Ms. Harris’s best friend from kindergarten and others in her inner circle. As the photo was snapped and the group broke up, Mr. Biden grabbed a coveted 60 seconds with Ms. Powell Jobs — asking about her son and talking about his ambitions for cancer research.

Few figures have cultivated a more consequential friendship with Ms. Harris, now the Democratic nominee for president, than Ms. Powell Jobs, who for decades was married to one of America’s most famous entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs.