Star turn: Obama to appear at S.F. firm’s tech conference
At a flashy tech conference for a San Francisco security software company this week, a familiar — and probably very pricey — face will make an appearance: former President Barack Obama.
After yoga and a networking breakfast Wednesday, attendees will watch Obama spend an hour onstage in Las Vegas with Okta CEO Todd McKinnon at the company’s sixth annual user con- ference, Oktane. The ex-president is expected to answer questions about leadership, innovation and his time in office.
Considered one of the most tech-savvy presidents, Obama has been expected to maintain a close relationship with Silicon Valley after leaving office — and this is one of the first on-the-record addresses he will make to the industry as a private citizen.
But don’t read too much into his choice, say Okta and the Obama Foundation.
“Since leaving office, President Obama has spent his time doing public and private events, both paid and unpaid, that are true to his values and his record,” his spokeswoman, Katie Hill, said in an email.
Other speakers at Oktane include athlete and actress Amy Mullins and NASA astronaut Mae Jemison. Comedian Kumail Nanjiani was also on the list, but he had to back out last minute.
Okta went public in April 2017, raising $187 million. In December, it signed a lease for a new headquarters at 100 First St. It is currently worth $5.3 billion after seeing its shares nearly double since the start of the year.
There will be no political talk during the chat with Obama, said Ryan Carlson, Okta’s chief marketing officer.
“That’s not what we’re interested in,” he said. “We’re interested in things like leadership and innovation.”
Obama will be paid for his time this week, though both Okta and the Obama Foundation declined to say how much. He was criticized for the reported $400,000 speaking fee he got last year for a speech at a health care conference sponsored by the brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The New York Times editorial board called it “disheartening” that Obama seemed to be “cashing in” on Wall Street.
“It shows surprising tone deafness, more likely to be expected from the billionaires the Obamas have vacationed with these past months than from a president keenly attuned to the worries and resentments of the 99 percent,” the editorial board wrote.
Some experts say Obama runs a similar risk for his talk in Vegas. But Casey Dominguez, an associate professor of political science at the University of San Diego, said that criticism is nothing surprising.
“The norm for (past presidents) is to stay away from political comments, and they don’t speak very often — so when they do, there are going to be questions,” she said. “That is one of the reasons that after the presidency, most presidents don’t give a lot of public remarks.”
But when they do speak, steep fees are typical. Former President George W. Bush gave at least 200 paid speeches, typically pocketing $100,000 to $175,000 per appearance, between 2009 and 2015, according to Politico. In 2011, Bill Clinton received $75,000 for a single speech in Hong Kong, and another $700,000 for a speech in Nigeria, according to CNN.
Obama’s spokeswoman said these paid events have allowed him “to contribute $2 million over the next two years to Chicago programs offering job opportunities and training to low-income youth.”
Other recent appearances by Obama over the past year include a keynote address at the Gates Foundation, a surprise appearance at the Boys & Girls Club in Washington, and an off-the-record speech at MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, of which a recording was later leaked to the media.
Obama came to the Bay Area regularly for fundraisers, campaigns and policy speeches. Many alumni of his White House now work in the tech industry.
Julian Zelizer, the editor of “The Presidency of Barack Obama: A First Historical Assessment,” said Obama’s decision to speak at Okta’s conference strikes him as a safe way to re-engage with that constituency.
“It seems like this company has no controversies, and it’s low enough on the radar that it won’t dominate the coverage,” Zelizer said. “But it still offers him the platform he wants.”