A Marc Benioff Protégé Has Morphed Into Salesforce’s Big Worry

After a shock exit as Salesforce co-CEO, Bret Taylor has positioned his AI startup to seize a sizable piece of Marc Benioff’s business.

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After an unexpected exit as Salesforce co-CEO in 2022, Bret Taylor sat down with a friend, Benchmark’s Peter Fenton, to brainstorm ideas for what to do next. He knew if he chose to go up against ex-boss Marc Benioff, who had shared the CEO duties with him, Benioff would be a formidable opponent. “He had an immense admiration for Marc,” Fenton recalled. “And that was conveyed to me.”

Still, Taylor has ignited what has turned into one of the most intense and personal rivalries in Silicon Valley with Benioff.

In February 2024, Taylor launched his new startup, Sierra, which makes automated AI software, or agents, for managing client relationships—exactly what much of Salesforce’s software is used for. Sierra has actively courted many of Salesforce’s customers and has signed deals with some of them, including SiriusXM and Sonos, according to a consultant who works with Salesforce customers. (Neither Benioff nor Taylor would comment for this story.)