Kara Swisher Donates $10K as Washington Post Alums Rally Behind Laid-Off Staff

(Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

Kara Swisher led Washington Post alumni by donating a staggering $10,000 to a rapidly growing fundraiser for journalists laid off from the newspaper on Wednesday.

The veteran tech journalist and former Post reporter made the donation to a GoFundMe organized by the newsroom union and reporter Rachel Siegel, which surged past $322,000 as of Thursday morning, drawing support from over 2,700 donors.

Swisher, who in 2024 floated a bid to buy the paper from billionaire owner Jeff Bezos, said on Threads that she had the means to “donate a decent chunk of dough to these hardworking employees,” urging others to step up.

She wrote: “The @washingtonpost, where I started in the mailroom, is the place that made me everything I am now. Skinflint billionaire and failed fashion model @jeffbezos has decimated it, but I have the means now because of what this legendary institution gave me to donate a decent chunk of dough to these hardworking employees. I urge you to give whatever you can.”

Swisher added that she “gave twice by accident.” The fundraiser page shows a second $10,000 gift from an anonymous donor.

Former Post figures also rank among the most generous donors including Eugene Robinson, ex-editor Martin Baron, columnist Lois Romano, and Dan Balz.

The layoffs, which impacted around 300 staffers, include the closure of the Post’s flagship podcast and cuts to sports, books and foreign coverage.

Executive editor Matt Murray and senior HR executive Wayne Connell broke the news during an 8:30 a.m. Zoom webinar on Wednesday, after telling employees to work from home and log into the meeting, during which they would be informed of “some significant actions across the company.”

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