The New York Post e-Edition

Virgin disavows its chair

Thomas Barrabi

Virgin Galactic distanced itself Tuesday from Chamath Palihapitiya, the chairman of its board, after he declared on a podcast that “nobody cares” about China’s humanrights abuses toward Uighurs.

Palihapitiya’s firm, Social Capital, took Virgin Galactic public via a SPAC deal in 2019. Palihapitiya sold his personal stake in Virgin Galactic for $213 million last March, but he remains listed as chairman.

A Virgin Galactic spokesperson told The Post, “Chamath Palihapitiya’s comments do not reflect the views of Virgin Galactic and he does not speak on behalf of the company.”

Palihapitiya, a billionaire investor, faced a massive backlash for his remarks on the “All In” podcast over the weekend. During a conversation regarding President Biden’s handling of relations with China, Palihapitiya was dismissive about concerns over Beijing’s actions toward the Muslim minority group.

“Let’s be honest, nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uighurs,” Palihapitiya said. Palihapitiya later tweeted, “In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy. I acknowledge that entirely.

“To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter.”

BUSINESS

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2022-01-19T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-19T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/282187949390183

New York Post