Salesforce cofounder and CTO Parker Harris told product and engineering staff on Feb. 17, 2026, that he was personally “not OK” with CEO Marc Benioff’s jokes about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made at the company kickoff in Las Vegas. Harris described the remarks as “a very bad joke” and said the comments have caused an internal uproar after parts of an internal meeting transcript were shared publicly and verified by Business Insider. Employees reacted on Slack, drawing public statements from senior leaders and prompting debate about the company’s Code of Conduct and how leadership should respond. Salesforce did not provide a comment when asked, and Benioff has not publicly addressed the episode.
Key takeaways
- Parker Harris said on Feb. 17, 2026, that Marc Benioff “made a very bad joke” about ICE at Salesforce’s employee kickoff in Las Vegas and that Harris was “not OK with it personally.”
- An internal transcript of Harris’ remarks was posted by an employee to a Slack channel and Business Insider verified the transcript as accurate.
- Harris told staff that joking about ICE can violate Salesforce’s Code of Conduct and described such violations as potentially “fireable” offenses if confirmed.
- Slack General Manager Rob Seaman and VP Craig Broscow publicly expressed disappointment on Slack, saying the remarks upset many employees and that a prompt acknowledgement from Benioff would be appropriate.
- Harris framed the company’s stance as nonpolitical, encouraged employees to vote as a way to take action, and asked colleagues to keep internal discussions confidential.
- Salesforce did not respond to a request for comment and Benioff has not issued a public statement responding to the internal reaction.
Background
The incident traces to Salesforce’s all-employee kickoff event in Las Vegas last week, where employees said Benioff made several jokes referencing ICE and its activities. That setting — a company-wide, employee-only meeting — amplified surprise and frustration because remarks by a CEO can carry outsized weight inside an organization. Corporate leaders and rank-and-file workers have increasingly scrutinized executive speech at internal events, particularly on topics tied to immigration enforcement, policing, and civil rights.
Salesforce has a long-standing public posture on social issues and has frequently encouraged civic engagement and corporate responsibility. That history heightened employee expectations for leadership conduct and accountability when remarks touch on sensitive policy matters. Past episodes at other technology firms have shown that internal backlash can escalate quickly when employees use company-owned platforms like Slack to coordinate responses.
Main event
According to employees and a transcript shared internally and verified by Business Insider, Harris opened a product-and-tech team meeting by addressing why many senior leaders had not publicly commented on Benioff’s remarks. He noted that an earlier comment criticizing Benioff had already been leaked and urged colleagues to confine discussion within the company rather than airing it to reporters or social media.
Harris explicitly called Benioff’s line “a very bad joke” and added that he was “not gonna call him out in public…on the internet.” He reiterated that the Code of Conduct applies to conduct that harms colleagues and said certain violations could lead to termination if substantiated. Harris framed his response as personal and procedural rather than political.
Several senior managers posted on Slack after the kickoff. Slack GM Rob Seaman wrote he could not “defend or explain” the CEO’s comments and said they did not align with his personal values. Craig Broscow, a Salesforce vice president, urged that Benioff acknowledge the hurt caused, saying such a step would be important to many employees who were deeply upset.
Harris also referenced broader national events, mentioning Minneapolis and suggesting that what is happening there is separate from Salesforce’s product usage. He encouraged employees to use their votes to act on issues they oppose, and he closed the meeting by asking staff to keep internal discussions confidential even as some messages had already been shared externally.
Analysis & implications
Executive remarks at high-profile internal gatherings can have outsized cultural impact inside a company, and this episode highlights that dynamic. A CEO’s attempt at humor that references law-enforcement actions can be interpreted by employees as minimizing trauma or endorsing problematic practices, even if the intent was different. That perception can erode trust between rank-and-file staff and senior leadership, especially in a firm with an activist corporate reputation.
Harris’ approach — acknowledging personal discomfort while stopping short of publicly chastising the CEO — reflects a common corporate tension: balancing internal candor with loyalty to the executive team. His warning about Code of Conduct consequences signals that Salesforce sees the complaint as potentially serious, but the company has not outlined any investigatory steps or disciplinary outcomes publicly.
Externally, the episode risks reputational damage among customers and partners who monitor corporate culture and leadership behavior. For a company that sells trust-based enterprise software, perception of internal discord can create questions about governance and oversight. If leadership does not address employees’ concerns transparently, the company may face prolonged morale and retention costs.
Reactions & quotes
Senior leaders and employees used Slack to express dissent and demand accountability. Below are representative comments accompanied by context.
“I cannot defend or explain those comments — they do not align with my personal values.”
Rob Seaman, Slack General Manager (internal Slack post)
Seaman’s post signaled public discomfort from a senior executive within the Slack product organization. According to Harris, Seaman’s message drew internal scrutiny because it circulated beyond the team, highlighting the tension between speaking out and the company’s request for confidentiality.
“It would be a step in the right direction for Marc to acknowledge as soon as possible — ideally publicly — that his attempted joke was extremely upsetting to large segments of his employee base.”
Craig Broscow, Salesforce VP (internal Slack post)
Broscow framed a corrective step for leadership: a prompt acknowledgement. His comment underscores that some leaders wanted a visible, public response from Benioff to soothe employees rather than only private remarks or internal dialogues.
“Marc made a very bad joke. I’m not OK with it personally.”
Parker Harris, Salesforce CTO (internal meeting transcript)
Harris’ succinct statement combined personal disapproval with a broader call for discretion. He emphasized that internal airing of grievances had already reached external outlets, complicating the company’s response options.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Salesforce has launched a formal internal investigation into Benioff’s remarks or will take disciplinary action has not been confirmed.
- The identity of the employee who posted the meeting transcript to Slack and any consequences they may face have not been publicly verified.
- Any private conversations between Benioff and other senior leaders about the incident have not been disclosed and remain unconfirmed.
Bottom line
The episode reflects a familiar corporate dilemma: leaders’ offhand remarks at internal events can produce outsized fallout when they touch on charged public issues. Harris’ public expression of discomfort inside the company acknowledges employee pain while avoiding an outright public rebuke of the CEO, a choice that may or may not satisfy those seeking faster, more public accountability.
How Salesforce addresses the matter going forward — whether through a public statement by Benioff, a clear internal review, or concrete policy reminders — will shape employee trust and external perceptions. For stakeholders watching executive conduct closely, the next steps will be the clearest signal of how seriously the company treats the intersection of leadership speech and organizational values.
Sources
- Business Insider — news report that verified an internal transcript and reported employee accounts