Why Some Outspoken C.E.O.s Are Backing Harris Silently

ImageThe hushed support behind HarrisVice President Kamala Harris has won endorsements from a wide array of business leaders.But some of her highest-profile backers — who include Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and Bill Gates — aren’t loudly proclaiming their support, in another sign of how polarizing politics have become.What to know:Dimon has privately told associates that he backs Harris, despite publicly praising Donald Trump and leaving the door open to endorsing the former president, according to The Times.Gates gave $50 million to the main outside fund-raising group supporting Harris, The Times reports, breaking from a longstanding strategy of not making large political donations.Warren Buffett, a longtime Democrat, wrote on Berkshire Hathaway’s website that he wouldn’t “endorse and support political candidates.”Even outspoken business leaders are staying mum.

Dimon is known for speaking his mind on a variety of topics, including Ukraine and banking regulations, and he previously donated publicly to Democrats.Buffett — who endorsed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — has publicly criticized Trump in previous election cycles.And Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire who owns The Los Angeles Times, has blocked the newspaper’s editorial board from endorsing a presidential candidate, according to Semafor.Titans of corporate America are seemingly worried about blowback from the Trump camp.

Dimon has told associates that he’s worried about the former president retaliating against perceived enemies if Trump wins in November, The Times reports, making his silence on Harris a matter of protecting shareholders.(A JPMorgan spokesman noted that Dimon had never publicly endorsed a presidential candidate.)In a statement to The Times, Gates sought to underline his history of bipartisan work even as he said that “this election is different.”And Buffett has told Berkshire shareholders in recent years that he’s worried about the rise of political “...