‘Corporate nepotism is a thing in Silicon Valley’: Microsoft techie alleges, claims employees lack proper skills

Published on: Sept 17, 2025 07:37 am A woman, who says she works at Microsoft, alleged that the children of Big Tech executives or managing directors are hired without interviews. A techie posted an Instagram video alleging nepotism at big tech companies. She claimed that some people work in tech giants without proper skills because they were hired based on their family connections. The woman’s Instagram profile indicates that she lives in New York City and works as a software engineer at Microsoft. A woman’s claim about corporate nepotism in Silicon Valley has sparked a debate on social media. (Representational image). (Unsplash) “Corporate nepotism is a thing, especially in the Silicon Valley and I am going to tell you about it,” the techie says in the Instagram video. She continues that there are people in tech who are working in certain positions without the required skills and only because their “parents got them there.” She alleges that many “Bay Area Kids” pass interviews and get internships or jobs directly. She claims that even if there is an interview, it is short and not technical. She concludes the post saying there’s no point crying about it, and people must play the cards they have been dealt. HT.com has reached out to the techie. This report will be updated when she responds. How did social media react?The video divided social media. While some agreed with the woman, others claimed nepotism in tech is nothing new. An individual posted, “How do we play the game now??” Another added, “This is literally crazy. Fashion is like this, too.” A third posted, “This has been going on since the dawn of humanity. Literally every single industry is run like this, don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same if you were a parent.” A fourth remarked, “But everyone wants to scream merit. I worked with many who were not skilled enough to hold positions. Yet they had opportunities.” A fifth wrote, “I have seen so many Bay Area kids who get into big tech, then use that as leverage to reach out to VCs (again, friends of their parents) to raise money for their startup. Obviously, they do the ‘business’ side of things while the employees actually do the technical work.” (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.) News / Trending / US / ‘Corporate nepotism is a thing in Silicon Valley’: Microsoft techie alleges, claims employees lack proper skills See Less