The ever entertaining Winklevoss twins – the Winklevi – have revived their claims against Facebook after deciding that the $65 million they were awarded (apparently $20 million in cash and $45 million in stock) was just not enough – full story from the BBC here. As Rory Cellan-Jones reports,
“When I met them last year, as they were preparing to row for Oxford in the Boat Race, Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss, then MBA students at the Said Business School, seemed more focussed on their sport than on any business ambitions.
“But when I brought up the Facebook question, their eyes lit up and the interview took off.
“The twins insisted they were motivated solely by the desire to right a wrong, and quoted the Harvard motto “Veritas”, or truth.“
In the new suit they take issue with the fact that the stock was awarded on a valuation of $36 per share whilst internal Facebook valuations at the time valued it at $9. If they had known that at the time, they would have asked for more.
After last year’s Boat Race, I exclusively, sarcastically and slightly triumphantly suggested (I am a Cambridge man after all), Facebook twins to sue Cambridge University?
Whatever next?
Well if I were them I would jolly well demand that the 156th Boat Race is re-rowed while they are about it.
It is pretty clear that in the run up to the Boat Race Oxford thought that they were the better and faster crew. Those dastardly Tabs had COMPLETELY CONCEALED the fact that they were actually better at rowing than Oxford. If they knew now what they didn’t know then, they would have trained harder in the build up, rowed better on the day – and would have won. Only fair that they get another go to right that terrible wrong.
Veritas, my ass.
Avaritia.
Being an Oxford man, I think this is a great idea – particularly as we were the reason that Cambridge University exists (just see the history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambridge). In fact, surely that historical evidence means that I actually own some of Cambridge.
I await the cheque in the post.
Now the Winklevoss twins have a load of cash, the only thing they lack is the ability to be able to say,
‘We made this and we are proud of it’.
They should use some of the money to show they can build a business or two for themselves, or use it to help other entrepreneurs get going.
They are undoubtedly smart, successful, focused individuals who just need to recalibrate.
I wonder if they couldn’t make a bunch of money doing a reality show. Seriously. Could be a run-away cable hit!