back to article Hyperloop founder goes on immediate leave following sexual assault 'smear campaign'

The co-founder of tube-traveling startup Hyperloop One and a key Uber investor has left the company effective immediately following allegations of sexual assault. Shervin Pishevar said in a statement on Tuesday that he had decided to "take an immediate leave of absence from my duties" in order to pursue a lawsuit that he filed …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Rich pratt behaving badly?

    No way. Alt fact. Fake news. Trump truth. Totally fabricated!

    *Explodes in sarcasm*

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Rich pratt behaving badly?

      You forgot "affluenza".

  2. TDog

    Do you guy's actually read what you write?

    Who are you traducing here? The British Police ( by which I assume you mean the Met., or British process of law (which is for you arrogant, ignorant buggers, the best law in the world. Just ask our judges.)

    So how is an unsupported allegation the "most serious",

    when he

    "turned up to the party with a Santa hat-wearing pony on a leash"

    and whilst I might be tempted to do this...

    "tripling her salary to $40,000 a month shortly after he started sleeping with her", although since I have neither seen her nor slept with her this is somewhat moot, I still don't actually see why the most serious allegation is....

    The most serious allegation however is that Pishevar was accused of rape while in London but was later released without charge by British police.

    It might be an indication of either corruption; incitement to prostitution (depending on your local law) or even genuine (given the other stuff) nasty abuse.

    So to insist that the most serious thing was that the Met chose not to prosecute seems bloody stupid, unless you are suggesting that backhanders were involved.

    I know you subs don't always get as well paid as you should be but perhaps an understanding of the word serious might be a good idea

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do you guy's actually read what you write?

      Haven't you heard. Listen and believe. Accusation = guilt. Report to your local re-education camp at once.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Do you guy's actually read what you write?

        Innocent until proven to have links with Uber

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do you guy's actually read what you write?

      @TDog

      I think you are misunderstanding what was written.

      Of all the things Pishevar was alleged to have done, from inappropriate behaviour, to harrassement, to sexual assault, the most serious was an accusation of rape.

      That's how I understand the article, not that the most serious thing was that he was released without charge.

    3. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Do you guy's actually read what you write?

      Whatever they write I'm quite sure that all of them know not to form a plural with an apostrophe.

      1. Stevie

        Re: Do you guy's actually read what you write?

        "Each of them knows", surely?

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Three different things

    1. Being shitfaced at work - they should have sacked him here and then

    2. Being offensive to co-workers and using discriminatory language unacceptable in a business environment, especially from a company officer - they should have sacked him here and then

    They DO NOT SACK him for 1 and 2

    3. It takes allegations which are at this point unproven from several ladies for them to sack him.

    While Mr Willie-Var (that is roughly how his name sounds in several European languages) is clearly Willie(optional Var) driven (*), the company definitely looks like something which will slot nicely into Uber without anyone noticing the difference.

    (*)Damn... another case of nominative determinism

    1. MonkeyCee

      Re: Three different things

      Have another read of the article. You are conflating two different people, neither of whom have been sacked.

      Pishevar has been accused of sexual harassment, and has taken a leave of absence in order to focus on suing his accusers.

      BamBrogan left the company, and sued them for breach of fiduciary duty and misuse of corporate resources.

      The counter suit claimed BamBrogan was attempting to kick Pishevar out of the company, along with various other allegations.

      The suit was settled out of court, so we can only infer things from it, such as BamBrogan being released from his non-compete.

      Just to note, your points 2 and 3 are exactly the same. Both BamBrogan and Pishever have had unproven* allegations of sexual harassment leveled at them, but for some reason different rules should apply. Feel free to correct me if I've missed something here.

      * Pishever has specific allegations against certain staff members backed by witnesses, BamBrogan seem to be of a more general nature, with only offensive statements rather than inappropriate touching being specifically detailed.

      1. Stevie

        Re: Three different things

        Rather: Pishever has specific allegations against him made by certain staff members, backed by witnesses,

        Your wording makes it read that Pishever is accusing them.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    best Pish evar?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Brogan BamBrogan

    you're not supposed to make fun of people who's parents had an idea to tarnish their dahlings for life, but in this case... surely, BroganBamBrogan must have been the (creatively disruptive) inventor himself?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Brogan BamBrogan

      Kevin Brogan's parents were not responsible. He did it himself - or rather, he and his wife Bambi Liu decided to 'creatively non-hyphenate' their names.

      Given how double-barrelling one's name has become a bit downmarket in the UK recently, I can see this catching on.

      1. Eddy Ito
        Trollface

        Re: Brogan BamBrogan

        It is an interesting solution to the east vs west problem of surnames at marriage. If you follow western tradition the woman takes the surname as she becomes property of her spouse or eastern tradition where women keep their original surname because she isn't deemed worthy of her husband's surname.

        1. Stevie

          Re: Brogan BamBrogan

          And your point is?

          To quote Chief Inspector Clouseau:

          "I must warn you, Tania of the Easter Lotus, I am not a fan of the women's libs. Man is the master and a woman's place is in the home."

  6. Steve McGuinness

    Sexism in the Tech Industry? Never!

    I mean, its not like their board and senior technicians are not just a huge sausage party, right?

    https://hyperloop-one.com/team

    1. MyffyW Silver badge

      Re: Sexism in the Tech Industry

      Just look at the stock photo El Reg used to trail the article. Doubt anybody on this august publication intended it to be salacious, but it is.

  7. a well wisher

    Seems its not only the product name thats Hyper !

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I conclude that Elon Musk is a complete arsehole simply by his association with the sort of people running Hyperloop. Many of us have doubts about the viability, but if Musk believes the idea has potential, why allow it to be wrecked by the sort of degenerate leeches that appear to be senior management at Hyperloop?

  8. captain_solo

    So this is where John Ralphio Sapporstine and Tom Haverford ended up after the failure of Entertainement720

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