1 Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project | The Verge

Overview

Tech Expand Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft Samsung Business See all tech

Reviews Expand Smart Home Reviews Phone Reviews Tablet Reviews Headphone Reviews See all reviews

Details

Science Expand Space Energy Environment Health See all science

Entertainment Expand TV Shows Movies Audio See all entertainment

Policy Expand Antitrust Politics Law Security See all policy

Gadgets Expand Laptops Phones TVs Headphones Speakers Wearables See all gadgets

Verge Shopping Expand Buying Guides Deals Gift Guides See all shopping

Streaming Expand Disney HBONetflix You Tube Creators See all streaming

Transportation Expand Electric Cars Autonomous Cars Ride-sharing Scooters See all transportation

Tech Close Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Tech

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

1 Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project

The controversy surrounds David Heinemeier Hansson, who has posted strident anti-vax and anti-immigrant views.

The controversy surrounds David Heinemeier Hansson, who has posted strident anti-vax and anti-immigrant views.

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

David Faugno, CEO at 1 Password, at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 11th, 2025.

1 Password faced immediate backlash from customers this week over a $300,000 pledge in support of a Linux distro created by David Heinemeier Hansson, who has regularly published overtly racist blog posts that include comments calling for deportation of ethnic minorities in Europe. The popular password manager is now a “distinguished corporate patron” of Omacom, the nonprofit foundation that oversees a popular Linux distribution known as Omarchy.

One viral blog post declared that 1 Password “Supports the Ethnic Cleansing of Europe” because of the donation. Others on social media asked for suggestions for alternative password managers so they would not support the funding of a project from Heinemeier Hansson, better known as DHH.

The donation has also resulted in internal pushback from employees of 1 Password who are disappointed by the affiliation, The Verge has learned. 1 Password CEO David Faugno and cofounder Roustem Karimov have since posted internal messages addressing what Faugno describes as “concerns, both internally and externally” that have been raised “due to the polarizing nature” of DHH.

DHH is a Danish entrepreneur best known for creating Ruby on Rails, Basecamp, and the Hey email client. Omarchy is DHH’s “opinionated” version of Linux, meaning it’s Linux the way he likes to use it. It’s based on Arch Linux, with certain apps that install by default. It’s also, apparently, one of 1 Password’s big customer environments.

The backlash to 1 Password’s funding should have been predictable; DHH’s reactionary comments aren’t new. Way back in 2023, Duke University Libraries dropped one of DHH’s products, Basecamp, citing “harms we see perpetuated by the leadership of Basecamp’s parent company, 37signals,” which is co-owned by DHH. At the time, Duke noted DHH’s attack on DEI programs and The Verge’s reporting on Basecamp banning “societal and political discussions” at work.

This year, DHH has published rants that appear to call for ethnic cleansing in Europe. In his July 21st blog post titled “Wolves, sheep, and gypsies,” DHH implies that immigrants are “wolves.” His solution? “When wolves get out of control, you shoot them. When gypsies take over public spaces, you deport them.”

In an internal Slack message obtained by The Verge, 1 Password’s Karimov downplayed the overtly racist comments from DHH, telling staff the following:

As I said, people have different personal opinions. You believe in your heart that DHH is evil, that you have the moral high ground, and that nothing will change your mind. However, not everyone believes that. It is not fair to claim a monopoly and ostracize team members who might disagree with you. There are people who are afraid to speak up simply because they will be personally attacked.

As I said, people have different personal opinions. You believe in your heart that DHH is evil, that you have the moral high ground, and that nothing will change your mind.

However, not everyone believes that. It is not fair to claim a monopoly and ostracize team members who might disagree with you.

There are people who are afraid to speak up simply because they will be personally attacked.

1 Password CEO Faugno took a different approach, trying to reassure staff that “1 Password does not endorse hateful, dehumanizing, or exclusionary views, including those shared publicly by DHH.”

Nonetheless, it seems the company has sacrificed a moral position for a “mission-driven” position. In the same message to staff, Faugno says “the scale and growth of [Omarchy’s] use among our customers is significant - Omarchy has grown to be the second most used Linux distribution among 1 Password users.”

Faugno then tries to create distance, telling staff that its contribution is “to the Omacom Foundation, not an individual.” Still, he says “we recognize that Omarchy is associated with DHH, its founder. Our donation is not in any way an endorsement of his personal views or conduct.”

We asked 1 Password for comment on its funding of the Omacom Foundation on August 31st, and again today. We did not receive a response in time for publication.

The Omacom Foundation is also funded by 12 “founding patrons” who each contributed

1 Password employees don’t seem impressed by its leaders’ comments based on dozens of emoji reactions we saw in their internal Slack conversations. 1 Password’s CEO says the company will speak more about it internally at an all-hands meeting.

TC Sottek Close TC Sottek Senior Editor Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by TC Sottek

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Jacob Kastrenakes Close Jacob Kastrenakes Executive Editor Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Jacob Kastrenakes

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Tech Close Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Tech

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Sonos introduces new headphones, soundbar, and software in its biggest announcement in years

Dyson made a camera-equipped toothbrush that flosses for you

Go Pro has been acquired and is getting into ‘defense, government, robotics and aerospace’

The rise of AI ‘civilizations’ and the fall of corporate responsibility

The Verge is a part of PMX Global, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation.

Key Takeaways

• Tech Expand Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft Samsung Business See all tech
• Reviews Expand Smart Home Reviews Phone Reviews Tablet Reviews Headphone Reviews See all reviews
• Science Expand Space Energy Environment Health See all science
• Entertainment Expand TV Shows Movies Audio See all entertainment
• Policy Expand Antitrust Politics Law Security See all policy