Former Marine Daniel Penny has secured a position at Andreessen Horowitz, a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm, less than two months after being acquitted in the controversial subway chokehold case involving Jordan Neely, reported the Free Press.
Penny will be working as a deal partner in the firm’s American Dynamism practice, which focuses on investments in government and defence technology.
Following the news of his hiring, US vice president JD Vance wrote on social media platform X, calling it “incredible news”.

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the co-founders of Andreessen Horowitz, have previously expressed support for Trump, and their firm has been vocal about investing in projects that align with national interests.
According to the Free Press report, David Ulevitch, a general partner at the firm, confirmed Penny’s hiring, saying, “He will learn the business of investing and he will work to support our portfolio companies.” Ulevitch also defended Penny’s actions during the May 2023 subway incident, writing, “I believe, as I know many of you do, that Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation.”
The incident, which took place on May 1, 2023, became a national controversy when Penny placed Neely in a chokehold after witnesses said Neely was acting in a threatening manner on a Manhattan F train.
Neely, a homeless man with a history of mental illness and over 40 prior arrests, later died, leading to Penny being charged with criminally negligent homicide and second-degree manslaughter. If convicted, Penny faced up to 20 years in prison. However, after a months-long trial, a New York jury acquitted him on December 9, 2023.
Penny’s hiring has been met with both praise and criticism. His new role will involve strengthening the firm’s relationships with the department of defense and the public safety sector. Ulevitch emphasised that the company evaluates individuals based on their entire character and does not judge them solely by “the worst moment in their life.”
Penny has remained largely out of the spotlight since his acquittal, though he was seen attending the Army-Navy football game in December alongside US President Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance.
While Penny has avoided public interviews, he previously said that he still rides the subway and was even spotted reading a book on a train recently, as per The Free Press.