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    Tesla Director Steve Jurvetson investigated by VC firm for misconduct

    Synopsis

    Jurvetson sits on the board of both Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., and is a close friend of Musk.

    Bloomberg
    By Ellen Huet

    DFJ, a venture capital firm known for backing Elon Musk’s ventures, said it’s investigating founding partner Steve Jurvetson for potential misconduct.

    The firm hired a law firm in the summer after hearing indirectly of allegations about Jurvetson, said Carol Wentworth, a spokeswoman for DFJ. The process is ongoing, and the firm hasn’t received a formal report of claims against Jurvetson or other investors, she said.

    Jurvetson sits on the board of both Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., and is a close friend of Musk. He was also an early backer of Hotmail, which Microsoft acquired during the dot-com boom. Technology website the Information reported the investigation earlier Tuesday.

    VCs and other Silicon Valley executives have come under fire in recent months from harassment allegations. Claims against Justin Caldbeck, a founding partner at Binary Capital, have thrown that firm’s future into question, and 500 Startups co-founder Dave McClure resigned after female entrepreneurs alleged that he made unwanted advances. The controversy has spilled over into Hollywood, with the ouster of producer Harvey Weinstein and Amazon.com Inc. studio executive Roy Price.

    Keri Kukral, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, posted on her Facebook page Monday, saying, “Women approached by founding partners of Draper Fisher Jurvetson should be careful. Predatory behavior is rampant.” In a comment on the post, she described the situation as “grey and personal not professional” and “exploitative.” She did not name any individuals.
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