On Sunday, Reed Hastings, the Netflix chief and notable Democratic donor, expressed his support for President Trump’s surprising decision to elevate H-1B visa application fees for skilled workers to $100,000.
“I’ve been involved in H-1B politics for around three decades now. This $100,000 annual fee is a fantastic solution,” Hastings shared in a post on X, where he has close to 150,000 followers.
“This change means the H-1B visa will be directed towards high-value positions. It creates more stability for those roles—no more lottery system needed,” he added.
This endorsement is rather unexpected, as Hastings has been one of the Democratic Party’s leading benefactors lately. For instance, he donated about $7 million to Kamala Harris during her brief presidential run.
Trump’s latest policy, effective as of Sunday, mandates that companies pay a $100,000 application fee for skilled foreign labor.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick articulated that the executive order aims to incentivize American firms to prioritize hiring and training domestic workers instead of foreign ones.
“If you’re going to train someone, it should be a recent graduate from one of our esteemed universities. Focus on Americans. Let’s stop bringing in people to take our jobs,” Lutnick remarked.
In related news, David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, is leading a bidding contest over a company valued at $40 billion as David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is gearing up to present its monetary offer.
Neither Netflix, Paramount, Skydance, nor Warner Bros. Discovery immediately responded to requests for comments.
Paramount Skydance is still yet to reveal formal bids for Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company that encompasses channels like Discovery, TNT, and CNN.
However, as reported by CNBC, the potential offer could evaluate the company at approximately $24 per share, with 70% to 80% backed in cash by Ralry Ellison, and the remaining portion in stock.
