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Wow. "Hey we tried to rip you off like no tomorrow, but got caught. No harm no foul right"? From the article: "When YouTube learned that someone had apparently

Wow. "Hey we tried to rip you off like no tomorrow, but got caught. No harm no foul right"? From the article: "When YouTube learned that someone had apparently impersonated one of their executives at a business meeting, its security team started an investigation, the company confirmed to me. The inquiry didn’t get far before a name emerged: Within days, Mr. Watson had apologized profusely to Goldman Sachs, saying the voice on the call belonged to Samir Rao, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Ozy, according to the four people."

ethbr0 5y ago
> In his apology to Goldman Sachs and in an email to me on Friday, Mr. Watson attributed the incident to a mental health crisis and shared what he said were details of Mr. Rao’s diagnosis. “Samir is a valued colleague and a close friend,” Mr. Watson said. “I’m proud that we stood by him while he struggled, and we’re all glad to see him now thriving again.” He added that Mr. Rao took time off from work after the call and is now back at Ozy. Mr. Rao did not reply to requests for comment. WTF?! This is immaterial on the company's value (it may be successful despite), but how is the individual in question still employed at the company? I've gone through some low points, but never have I attempted to impersonate another company's executive in order certify traffic claims and secure funding. Jesus.
- blitzar 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense > The notion of temporary insanity argues that a defendant was insane during the commission of a crime, but they later regained their sanity after the criminal act was carried out. This legal defense is commonly used to defend individuals that have committed crimes of passion. The defense was first successfully used by U.S. Congressman Daniel Sickles of New York in 1859 after he had killed his wife's lover, Philip Barton Key. Of course the first successfull use would be a politician.
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    Yes, but a (even temporary, which is rarer than TV would lead you to believe) insanity plea typically requires institution at a mental health care facility. It certainly doesn't just place the individual back in their old job.
    - cactus2093 5y ago
      Wait until you learn about San Francisco
      - blitzar 5y ago
        My batting average is 1.000, if I can claim every strikeout was a temporary mental health anomaly.
      - ethbr0 5y ago
        San Francisco and I have a history of disagreement. :)
- reginold 5y ago
  How is this immaterial? The two co-founders tried to defraud an investor.
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    IMHO, attempting to defraud an investor demonstrates a complete lack of ethics. It does not necessarily follow that your company is inherently fraudulent or worthless. Lots of terrible people run financially solid companies. Would I invest a dime? Hell no. But it doesn't mean that it's not a valuable company.
    - elliekelly 5y ago
      If it’s a solid company run by ethically challenged people then the board can (and should) fire the terrible people and replace them with better people. If the company’s only “value” comes from the terrible people being in charge then it is indeed a terrible company.
    - reginold 5y ago
      Ah I see what you mean now. What you mean is this event doesn't technically mean the entire company is a scam that has no clicks. It's possible all their traffic is organic and uses iOS and loves clicking ads, just that the CEO and co-founders conspired to impersonate this YouTube exec. Yes, it could technically still be a valuable company.
      - ethbr0 5y ago
        Unlikely to be valuable, but lying and bankruptcy are two different things. And I try and be pendantic, as "(Proven bad thing), so (worse thing that doesn't logically follow)" appears to be the paintbrush of our times.
- vkou 5y ago
  > but how is the individual in question still employed at the company? The company is worthless unless the founders realize their vision, and investors who were already suckered into funding it don't want to rock the boat, because it will make their entire investment evaporate.
- paxys 5y ago
  He is still employed because the entire company, and their existing investors, were all in on the scam. If they make him the fall guy he will dish out dirt on them in return.
  - danrocks 5y ago
    Right on. As a friend of mine said, he hasn't been fired because he has all the receipts.
    - effingwewt 5y ago
      Yes this was a case of it being blatantly obvious, too. They should have gleefully thrown him under the bus, if only to allay suspicion. The fact they can't/won't screams complicity. This males me wonder what else will develop from this now that they've gotten the attention they very much wanted to avoid.
blitzar 5y ago
But did they still do the deal? Just how thirsty are Goldmans to do deals in this space is the thing I want to know.
- frakkingcylons 5y ago
  That’s answered in the article.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - blitzar 5y ago
    They 'walked away' and then the deal got done 2 months later - there are no details on who did the deal.
- TechBro8615 5y ago
  Hint: Goldman's definition of "this space" is much more about the "who" than the "what"

ethbr0 5y ago

> In his apology to Goldman Sachs and in an email to me on Friday, Mr. Watson attributed the incident to a mental health crisis and shared what he said were details of Mr. Rao’s diagnosis. “Samir is a valued colleague and a close friend,” Mr. Watson said. “I’m proud that we stood by him while he struggled, and we’re all glad to see him now thriving again.” He added that Mr. Rao took time off from work after the call and is now back at Ozy. Mr. Rao did not reply to requests for comment. WTF?! This is immaterial on the company's value (it may be successful despite), but how is the individual in question still employed at the company? I've gone through some low points, but never have I attempted to impersonate another company's executive in order certify traffic claims and secure funding. Jesus.

blitzar 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense > The notion of temporary insanity argues that a defendant was insane during the commission of a crime, but they later regained their sanity after the criminal act was carried out. This legal defense is commonly used to defend individuals that have committed crimes of passion. The defense was first successfully used by U.S. Congressman Daniel Sickles of New York in 1859 after he had killed his wife's lover, Philip Barton Key. Of course the first successfull use would be a politician.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  Yes, but a (even temporary, which is rarer than TV would lead you to believe) insanity plea typically requires institution at a mental health care facility. It certainly doesn't just place the individual back in their old job.
  - cactus2093 5y ago
    Wait until you learn about San Francisco
    - blitzar 5y ago
      My batting average is 1.000, if I can claim every strikeout was a temporary mental health anomaly.
    - ethbr0 5y ago
      San Francisco and I have a history of disagreement. :)
reginold 5y ago
How is this immaterial? The two co-founders tried to defraud an investor.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  IMHO, attempting to defraud an investor demonstrates a complete lack of ethics. It does not necessarily follow that your company is inherently fraudulent or worthless. Lots of terrible people run financially solid companies. Would I invest a dime? Hell no. But it doesn't mean that it's not a valuable company.
  - elliekelly 5y ago
    If it’s a solid company run by ethically challenged people then the board can (and should) fire the terrible people and replace them with better people. If the company’s only “value” comes from the terrible people being in charge then it is indeed a terrible company.
  - reginold 5y ago
    Ah I see what you mean now. What you mean is this event doesn't technically mean the entire company is a scam that has no clicks. It's possible all their traffic is organic and uses iOS and loves clicking ads, just that the CEO and co-founders conspired to impersonate this YouTube exec. Yes, it could technically still be a valuable company.
    - ethbr0 5y ago
      Unlikely to be valuable, but lying and bankruptcy are two different things. And I try and be pendantic, as "(Proven bad thing), so (worse thing that doesn't logically follow)" appears to be the paintbrush of our times.
vkou 5y ago
> but how is the individual in question still employed at the company? The company is worthless unless the founders realize their vision, and investors who were already suckered into funding it don't want to rock the boat, because it will make their entire investment evaporate.
paxys 5y ago
He is still employed because the entire company, and their existing investors, were all in on the scam. If they make him the fall guy he will dish out dirt on them in return.
- danrocks 5y ago
  Right on. As a friend of mine said, he hasn't been fired because he has all the receipts.
  - effingwewt 5y ago
    Yes this was a case of it being blatantly obvious, too. They should have gleefully thrown him under the bus, if only to allay suspicion. The fact they can't/won't screams complicity. This males me wonder what else will develop from this now that they've gotten the attention they very much wanted to avoid.

blitzar 5y ago

But did they still do the deal? Just how thirsty are Goldmans to do deals in this space is the thing I want to know.

frakkingcylons 5y ago
That’s answered in the article.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- blitzar 5y ago
  They 'walked away' and then the deal got done 2 months later - there are no details on who did the deal.
TechBro8615 5y ago
Hint: Goldman's definition of "this space" is much more about the "who" than the "what"