A tech tycoon has been labeled a “creep” after claiming to have offered a woman $100,000 to take off her facemask on a first-class Delta flight.
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth a reported $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday, even posting a selfie of himself smiling during the full flight.
He said he offered a woman $100,000 to take off her mask for the entire flight, claiming she worked “for a pharmaceutical company.”
Kirsch tweeted, “I’m on a Delta flight right now. The person sitting next to me in first class refused $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight.
‘No joke. This was after I explained that they don’t work.’
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth a reported $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday, even posting a selfie of himself smiling during the full flight
Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a ‘creepy liar’, with dozens slamming the tech millionaire for his bizarre tirade
The millionaire created a research fund for potential COVID treatments in 2020 and donated $1 million to the venture, according to MIT Technology Review.
But it also claims he has since questioned Covid vaccines approved by governments around the world, and is deliberately spreading “misinformation” about the pandemic online.
His Twitter claims he is a “truth-teller” and a “critical thinker” and he regularly shares articles skeptical of Covid vaccines and masks.
Kirsch then launched into a lengthy diatribe to explain his interactions with the woman eager to wear a mask.
He said, “I started bidding at $100. And I pointed out that when she took the mask off to eat and drink, she could become infected with one breath. So she had full disclosure.
“She took off her mask as soon as breakfast was served!!!! Because everyone knows you can’t get infected while you’re eating!!
“Maybe next time I’ll sit next to someone who had an account with Silicon Valley Bank.”
Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a “creepy liar,” with dozens berating the tech millionaire for his outlandish diatribe.
The Silicon Valley veteran was credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse in 1980
The millionaire created a research fund for possible COVID treatments in 2020 and donated $1 million to the company according to MIT Technology Review
One user called him an “entitled mansplainer,” while another said Delta should have refunded the woman her seat after “damaging arrogant fool” Kirsch ruined her flight.
Another said, “What an asshole to do. She paid for First Class and was still dealing with an idiot in her personal space.”
A third added, “What’s happening here, Steve, is people are weighing the likelihood that you’re an upstanding rich man versus a creepy liar and reasonably land on the latter.”
But some sided with the tech manager, saying the money would have “bought their daughter’s dream house.”
He said he offered a woman $100,000 to remove her mas for the entire flight, claiming she worked “for a pharmaceutical company”
One user called him an “entitled mansplainer,” while another said Delta should have refunded the woman her seat after “damaging arrogant fool” Kirsch ruined her flight
But some sided with the tech manager, saying the money would have “bought their daughter’s dream home”
Another said, “Even if I was GUARANTEED to get COVID, I’d take the $100,000 depending on where I went.”
The Silicon Valley veteran was credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse in 1980.
He co-founded Frame Technology Corp, which was bought by Adobe in 1995 and then created Infoseek and then sold it to Disney in 1999.
Airlines and airports dropped mask mandates following a court ruling in April 2022, though many travelers continued to opt for face coverings on flights.