Yesterday, Bloomberg released a report detailing multiple sexual harassment claims made against venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar. Pishevar was an early investor in Uber, and was accused of making unwanted advances towards work associates.
Sarah Lacy, CEO and editor of Pando Daily, joins Cheddar to break down the Bloomberg report and the news. Lacy says she wasn't surprised by the allegations because of her own personal experiences with Pishevar. She also noted that the venture capitalist was known in the industry for morally questionable behavior.
Lacy says she hopes there are repercussions for Pishevar's behavior. She categorized his actions as similar in severity to Hollywood gatekeeper Harvey Weinstein. Lacy feels he should be stripped of his power, and dismissed from his firm. She says Shervin Pishevar is another example of the ongoing issue of bro culture and sexual harassment in Silicon Valley.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."
