Thursday 19 February 2026
07:45
Sir Michael Moritz
Ausländer: One family's story of escape and exile
Michael joins us following the publication of Ausländer, in which he chronicles the history of close family members murdered by the Nazis. Exploring their journey takes him into a past of tragedy, grief and the dark shadows cast on Jewish life by the Holocaust. Disturbingly relevant to contemporary America, Ausländer shows what can happen to families when ordinary people hand licence to despots.
Michael was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1954. A former Time journalist and regular contributor to the FT, he is the author of several books, including The Little Kingdom, the story of Apple’s years as a private business. He was a partner in Sequoia Capital for 35 years and led the business between 1995 and 2012, becoming one of the most successful investors of his generation. Together with his wife, the author Harriet Heyman, he formed Crankstart in 2001 – a San Francisco-based foundation devoted to helping those who might otherwise be left behind.
'Ausländer casts a unique shaft of light into the darkest years of European history, and a profoundly moving, personal story of disaster and triumph unlike any other you will read'.
Billionaire venture capitalist, ex-Time journalist and former in-house historian of Apple
Michael was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1954. A former Time journalist and regular contributor to the FT, he is the author of several books, including The Little Kingdom, the story of Apple’s years as a private business. He was a partner in Sequoia Capital for 35 years and led the business between 1995 and 2012, becoming one of the most successful investors of his generation. Together with his wife, the author Harriet Heyman, he formed Crankstart in 2001 – a San Francisco-based foundation devoted to helping those who might otherwise be left behind.