Tech investor ousted over ‘sex harassment’

A Tesla director and Silicon Valley investor has been kicked out of his own firm after allegations of sexual harassment.

Steve Jurvetson, on Tesla’s board since 2006 and a director of Elon Musk’s SpaceX since 2009, denies the allegations, which began to surface this summer.

Jurvetson, an early investor in Hotmail, is the most high-profile venture capital investor so far to be forced out of his job as the Californian tech sector examines widespread allegations of unacceptable behaviour towards female workers and entrepreneurs.

Jurvetson said he was leaving Draper Fisher Jurvetson, which he helped start, “to focus on personal matters, including taking legal action against those who have defamed me”. He has also tweeted that he is a subject of “false statements”.

DFJ reportedly investigated Jurvetson, 50, for harassment and uncovered behaviour towards female entrepreneurs that was unacceptable. The investor has been temporarily stripped of his director roles at SpaceX and Tesla.

Entrepreneur Keri Kukral alleged earlier this year that predatory behaviour was “rampant” at DFJ. She did not name Jurvetson.