Meg Whitman
Meg Whitman | |
|---|---|
Whitman in 2022 | |
| United States Ambassador to Kenya[1] | |
| In office August 5, 2022 – November 13, 2024[2] | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Kyle McCarter |
| Succeeded by | Marc Dillard Chargé d'affaires |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Margaret Cushing Whitman August 4, 1956 Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Griffith R. Harsh ​ (m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Princeton University (AB) Harvard University (MBA) |
Margaret Cushing Whitman (born August 4, 1956) is an American business executive, diplomat and politician. She served as the United States Ambassador to Kenya from July 2022 to November 2024 under the Presidency of Joe Biden.[3][4]
A member of the Republican Party, she ran for governor of California in the 2010 California gubernatorial election and lost to former California Governor Jerry Brown, 54% to 41%.[5] The fifth-wealthiest woman in California with a net worth of $1.3 billion in 2010,[6] she spent, at the time, more of her own money on a single election than any other political candidate in American history.[7][8] The $144 million of her own fortune she used for the race (the campaign spent $178.5 million in total, including money from donors)[9] was surpassed only by Michael Bloomberg in the 2020 presidential election.[10] Whitman was a senior presidential campaign official for Republican Mitt Romney in both 2008 and 2012, although she supported Democrats Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in the 2016 presidential election and the 2020 presidential election, respectively.
In 2008, Whitman was cited by The New York Times as among the women most likely to become the first female president of the United States.[11] In 2014, Whitman was named 20th in Forbes List of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.[12] Whitman has held various business executive positions at The Walt Disney Company, eBay, Hewlett Packard and Quibi.
- ^ Moturi, Ndubi. "US Ambassador Meg Whitman resigns". Nation Media Group. Nation Media. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "@AmbMonicaJuma has been critical to the success of the 🇺🇸🇰🇪 relationship in my time here..." Archived from the original on March 25, 2025.
- ^ "US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman Resigns Following Trump Win". Bloomberg.com. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ Moturi, Ndubi (November 13, 2024). "Meg Whitman submits her resignation as US Ambassador to Kenya". nation.africa. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Caulfield, Philip (November 3, 2010). "Meg Whitman loses California governor race despite $160 million tab; Jerry Brown wins for 3rd time". Daily News. New York. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ "#773 Margaret Whitman". Forbes. February 12, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
- ^ York, Anthony (September 15, 2010). "Whitman becomes biggest-spending candidate on a single campaign in U.S. history [Updated]". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
- ^ Cha, Ariana Eunjung (September 16, 2010). "Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman breaks campaign financing records with $119 million contribution". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ "Final Meg Whitman tally: $178.5M". Salon. Associated Press. January 11, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Goldmacher, Shane (March 20, 2020). "Michael Bloomberg Spent More Than $900 Million on His Failed Presidential Run". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ Zernike, Kate (May 18, 2008). "She Just Might Be President Someday". New York Times.
- ^ "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Retrieved June 24, 2014.