Tech stars quit Silicon Valley as politics, pandemic weigh

This combination of file pictures shows Thiel (top left); Karp (top right); Ellison (bottom left) and Musk. Some of Silicon Valley’s most high-profile stars are making equally high-profile exits from the region as a pandemic-linked shift to remote work and political polarisation have dulled the allure of the key tech industry hub. — AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Silicon Valley is seeing departures of some of its high-profile stars as a pandemic-linked shift to remote work and political polarisation have dulled the allure of the key tech industry hub.

Nightmarish traffic and high living costs were already causing disenchantment even before the pandemic spoiled the serendipity of the northern California destination for top talent. Droughts and rampant wildfires have also taken a toll.