Sequoia distances itself from Moritz opinion piece

Sequoia Capital distanced itself from comments made by Partner Michael Moritz after a Moritz opinion piece in the Financial Times chided Silicon Valley workers for being less driven than those in China.

“The views expressed by Michael Moritz are his own,” a Sequoia spokesperson said Monday.

The Friday piece described as “unhinged” a Silicon Valley community that has become concerned about issues such as work-life balance and paternity leave. In China, top managers show up for work at 8 a.m. and often don’t leave until 10 p.m., while high flyer women realize their children probably will be raised by a grandmother or nanny and that they will only see them a few minutes a day.

He went on to say Chinese companies enforce frugality. Visitors don’t see $700 office chairs or large flat-panel computer screens, and workers wear coats and scarves at their desks, reuse tea bags and fly economy.

The piece, entitled Silicon Valley would be wise to follow China’s lead, can be found here.