Jeff Green: Tech billionaire leaves Mormon church and blasts it in searing open letter

‘The church has exploited its members and their need for hope to build temples, build shopping malls, and cattle ranches,’ billionaire says

The richest person from Utah, billionaire and tech CEO Jeff Green, slammed the Mormon church in a letter announcing his official withdrawal from the religious community.

Mr Green, who promised in November to give away at least 90 per cent of his vast wealth, wrote a 90-word letter in which he blasted the organisation for hoarding money and having a poor record on civil rights.

The letter was sent on Monday to the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Russell Nelson, with Mr Green saying that he thinks most members of the church are “good people trying to do right”, but that “the church is actively and currently doing harm in the world”.

“The church leadership is not honest about its history, its finances, and its advocacy,” Mr Green added. “I believe the Mormon church has hindered global progress in women’s rights, civil rights, and racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.”

Mr Green is a former Mormon missionary and graduated from Brigham Young University, a private school in Provo, Utah founded by Mr Young in 1875 and which is sponsored by the church.

Mr Green’s next major donation will be $600,000 going to Equality Utah, with the billionaire writing in the letter that “almost half of the fund will go to a new scholarship program to help LGBTQ+ students in Utah,” including students who “may need or want to leave” Brigham Young University.

The 44-year-old is the CEO and chairman of The Trade Desk, a tech firm. He’s estimated to be worth $4.9bn.

Mr Green currently lives in Southern California and originally left the church “more than a decade ago—not believing, attending, or practicing”. He said the letter marked his official exit from the church.

“Although I have deep love for many Mormons and gratitude for many things that have come into my life through Mormonism, I have not considered myself a member for many years, and I’d like to make clear to you and others that I am not a member,” Mr Green wrote.

The CEO noted that the church has “more than $100bn in assets” and argued that they should do “more to help the world and its members”.

He added that Mormons are “often poor” but that they still give to the church “expecting the blessings of heaven”.

“Instead, I think the church has exploited its members and their need for hope to build temples, build shopping malls, and cattle ranches… rather than alleviating human suffering in or out of the church,” Mr Green wrote.

Mr Green, who has three children, is leaving the religion alongside 11 members of his family as well as a friend. His sister, Jennifer Gaerte, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she had “that picture-perfect Mormon family” until her husband’s brother died, leading her to go into “into survival mode”. Her husband didn’t attend church while he was grieving his brother, which prompted Ms Gaerte’s family to be shunned, with other children at times throwing rocks at her’s.

Ms Gaerte went to a leader in the church and requested to be released from LDS youth organization the Young Women. The church leader said she would become an inactive member if she was released from the group. “If you won’t release me, I’ll release myself,” she said.

Mr Green’s cousin, Doug Whittemore, said his upbringing had been “wonderful” but that parts of the religion bothered him.

“Something was not clicking for me intuitively,” Mr Whittemore said. “It was pragmatic, but I could never buy into the [religious] concepts, and the teachings were about as far-fetched as you could believe.”

When he chose not to become a missionary, he was shunned by his family. “A lot of them wouldn’t talk to me for years and that still persists to this day.” Mr Whittemore now lives in Dallas, Texas.

Mr Green also said his childhood had been a good one and that his faith had been important to him as he grew up.

“The most positive part of our childhood wasn’t the strong connection we had with our parents but to the community,” he told The Tribune. “I am deeply grateful to that community and its amazing people, including my ancestors who made great sacrifices in the name of God and the community.”

But Mr Green added in his letter that “after today, the only contact I want from the church is a single letter of confirmation to let me know that I am no longer listed as a member”.