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New dads who take 6 months paternity leave are losers, says private equity investor

By on October 29, 2021

Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, an American venture capitalist is under fire for making a provocative response to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s tweet who took a paternity leave to care for his newborn twins.

“Any man in an important position who takes 6 months of leave for a newborn is a loser. In the old days men had babies and worked harder to provide for their future – that’s the correct masculine response.”   Jon Lonsdale, Oct 27, 2021

The remark sparked outrage among pro-family netizens including Garry Tan, founder at Initialized Capital, who defended his company’s four-month paternity leave.

“Respect that people have different choices, but being a dad is awesome and there is more to life than work and money,” he wrote on Twitter.

Japan’s Paternity Leave

The first 6 to 8 weeks after the birth of a child is particularly demanding – sleepless nights, feeding prep, nappy change, and the list goes on. Pregnancy itself takes a lot of energy on a mother. Anyone who’s been there knows how child care can stretch one’s energy to the limit.

In Japan, statistics reveal the bulk of childcare after birth falls on women. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 83% of women took maternity leave in 2019 while men accounted for a paltry 7.48%.

To narrow the ratio gap and give women a much-needed break, the Japanese government revised the law on child care leave allowing fathers a four-week time off work but must be taken during the first eight weeks after the birth of a baby.

The revised paternity leave which takes effect in October 2022 is huge. Dads will also be able to apply for it even on short notice.

About Tracy Nakayama