Airbnb grabbed a lot of attention when it was reported that one of its co-founders was joining Musk at DOGE, with calls for a boycott and hosts abandoning the platform as a result. We’re highlighting what we know about Airbnb so you can make an informed choice on whether or not to use the platform.

Summary:

• Joe Gebbia, an Airbnb co-founder and board member, is reportedly joining Elon Musk at DOGE, but the specifics on the role are unclear (like so many things about DOGE). 
• Gebbia is no longer employed at Airbnb, but is a major shareholder and therefore obviously continues to benefit financially from the success of the business.
• We have found no significant direct contributions from Airbnb as a company to Trump or the politicians on our watch list working against reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ equality, or other issues we’re tracking. We will continue to monitor as new disclosures are made public, but right now Airbnb would NOT be on our recommended switch list based on our current methodology for focusing on direct contributions from the company. 
• That said, we wanted you to be aware that a founder, board member, and significant shareholder in Airbnb is joining Musk and DOGE; for many of us, that’s enough to leave Airbnb.
• We will continue to evaluate the best ways to evolve our methodology to help consumers align their spending with their values.
• Send us a note if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for us: communications@spendingspotlight.org

Organizations or people we’re following/supporting

Erin Reed is a leading LGBTQ+ journalist at https://www.erininthemorning.com/. You can also follow her on Bluesky @erininthemorning.com for her take on the issues, people, and organizations driving the attacks on LGBTQ+ equality.