Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Steve Jennings / Getty Images for TechCrunch
Silicon Valley was rocked earlier this month by allegations of sex and drug parties attended by the tech elite, as detailed in a Vanity Fair excerpt of journalist Emily Chang's upcoming book Brotopia.
Axios has now obtained text from the book that identifies the host of one of those parties as Steve Jurvetson, the venture capitalist and Tesla Motors director who quit his firm late last year in order "to focus on personal matters."
Why it matters: As Chang writes, merging the personal and professional in this way can open the door for sexual harassment and discrimination — not only for women who choose not to participate (thus appearing unsocial) but also for those who do participate (thus appearing like sex objects rather than entrepreneurs).
Here is the relevant section of Brotopia:
“The invite requested “glamazon adventurer, safari chic and jungle tribal attire” for the party, to be hosted at “Casa Jurvey by the Sea”—the home of venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson in the resort beach town of Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. It turned out that this was the afterparty for his venture capital firm, DFJ’s Big Think “unconference,” an exclusive gathering for folks in the tech industry.”
This comes less than 24 hours after entrepreneur Paul Biggar wrote on Medium that he attended the same party, adding that it actually was organized and staffed by a "top-tier" venture capital firm.
DFJ — the last initial of which stands for Jurvetson — has not yet responded to a request for comment on its possible involvement with the party, nor if the party is at all related to Jurvetson's subsequent departure.
Jurvetson has not responded to a request for comment, although his resignation statement did include mention "taking legal action against those whose false statements have defamed me."
Chang's book will be released on February 6.
Update: DFJ has sent over the following comment:
"We were dismayed to learn of behavior at the party that was completely at odds with DFJ’s culture, which has been, and will continue to be, built on the values of respect and integrity. We would never want anyone to feel uncomfortable and we are sorry if that happened. The decisive action we’ve taken in recent months reflects our steadfast commitment to our values."