Democratic Mega-Donor with Close Ties to Biden Stands to Win from Ban on Latest Apple Watch
By Isabel Vincent
Published Dec. 28, 2023, 6:00 a.m. ET
A Democratic mega-donor with close ties to President Joe Biden is set to benefit from a ban on the latest version of Apple Watches, a ban upheld by the president himself.
Joe Kiani, the founder and CEO of medical technology company Masimo, has donated millions to Democrats, including a $1 million donation to the Biden Foundation. His legal battle with Apple over intellectual property theft led to a US International Trade Commission ruling that the latest Apple Watch models breach Masimo’s patent for blood-oxygen level reading technology.
The ban, which was temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court as Apple seeks to appeal the ruling, was allowed to proceed by the Biden administration. The amount of money at stake for Apple or Masimo is yet to be determined, but Kiani’s close ties to Biden raise questions about the decision to uphold the ban.
Kiani, an Iranian-American businessman, has extensive connections to Biden and his family. His daughter worked for Jill Biden in the White House, and he offered a job to Caroline Biden, the troubled niece of the president’s son Hunter Biden. Additionally, Kiani and his wife were guests at a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.
Despite Masimo’s claims that the dispute has never been about money, the close ties between Kiani and the Biden family have raised concerns about the influence of wealthy donors on policy decisions. The White House and Apple have declined to comment on the matter, but the controversy surrounding the ban on Apple Watches continues to raise eyebrows.