London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 07, 2026

Tech titan flees San Francisco for Florida, says city is poorly managed

Tech titan flees San Francisco for Florida, says city is poorly managed

Tech titan Keith Rabois announced this week he is leaving California's Silicon Valley and moving to the Floridian metropolis of Miami. 

Rabois, formerly an executive at companies like Square and PayPal, announced the decision during Tuesday's financial Meridian conference.

“I think San Francisco is just so massively improperly run and managed that it’s impossible to stay here,” he told Fortune's Robert Hackett.

A recent report from real estate firm FCP and analytics group Orbital Insight said South Florida is one of the top destinations for Americans moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rampant homelessness and relentless wildfires have colored the last few years for longtime Bay Area residents. The strain of the coronavirus only adds weight to cities already under duress.


The 51-year-old New Jersey native has lived in the Bay Area for 20 years. He pointed out that many have taken similar actions over the past couple of years.

The Bay Area -- once known for the garages of technology greats -- has seen the departures of PayPal's Peter Thiel and Palantir's Alex Karp and Joe Lonsdale, or what some call a "tech exodus."

Rabois explained that the pandemic gave him the push he needed to get out the proverbial door -- noting any hesitancy was "more psychological than real.”

In addition, the investor explained that he had observed Americans' changing habits over the course of the year, asserting that residents of heavily-populated and pricey cities have been exposed to the "downsides" of urban life during the pandemic.

“Bay Area searches for rent are in free-fall, they’re down like 30%,” Rabois added.

"It’s very clear right now, people are shifting their preferences pretty massively,” he said, though noting attitudes could shift once a vaccine is introduced to the public.

A remote work environment has also played a role, with workers in hubs like New York City opting for cheaper rents as long as they are allowed to work from home. Many companies are making that option permanent.

However, census data reportedly shows that 5.4% fewer people left California last year for other states.

Nevertheless, Rabois said he's headed to the warm climate of Miami. It's currently 78 degrees there and just 58 degrees in the Golden Gate City.

“Miami is an incredibly beautiful city, cosmopolitan, has an interesting mix of New Yorkers, Latin Americans, and Europeans,” he told conference members.

“Living in the Bay Area for 20 years, it’s just like, all the things you wish you had,” Rabois concluded.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
Winklevoss-Led Gemini to Slash a Quarter of Jobs and Exit European and Australian Markets
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
NASA allows astronauts to take smartphones on upcoming missions to capture special moments.
Trump administration to launch TrumpRx.gov for direct drug purchases
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Epstein Case Documents Reignite Global Scrutiny of Political and Business Elites
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
UK Royal Family Faces Intensifying Strain as Epstein-Linked Revelations Rock the Institution
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Tech Mega-Donors Power Trump-Aligned Fundraising Surge to $429 Million Ahead of 2026 Midterms
UK Pharma Watchdog Rules Sanofi Breached Industry Code With RSV Vaccine Claims Against Pfizer
Melania Documentary Opens Modestly in UK with Mixed Global Box Office Performance
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
×