A tech mogul has been branded a “creeper” after he claimed he offered a woman $100,000 to take off her face mask on a first-class Delta flight.
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is said to be worth $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling on the full flight.
He said he offered a woman $100,000 to take her mask off for the entire flight, claiming she works “for a drug company.”
Kirsch tweeted, “I’m currently boarding a Delta flight. The person sitting next to me in first class refused $100,000 to take off their mask for the entire flight.
‘No joke. That was after I explained they didn’t work.”
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is said to be worth $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling on the full flight
Kirsch was hit with a barrage of tweets calling him a “creepy liar,” and dozens criticized the tech millionaire for his bizarre tirade
The millionaire established a research fund for potential COVID treatments in 2020 and donated $1 million to the company, according to MIT Technology Review.
However, it is also claimed that he has since begun to question Covid vaccines that have been approved by governments around the world, and deliberately spread “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 vaccinations and masks.
Kirsch then began a lengthy tirade to explain his interactions with the woman, who was keen to wear a mask.
He said, “I started bidding at $100. And I pointed out that if she takes off her mask 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 that you can’t get infected while eating!!
“Maybe next time I’ll be sitting next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank.”
Kirsch was hit with a barrage of tweets calling him a “creepy liar,” and dozens criticized the tech millionaire for his bizarre tirade.
The Silicon Valley veteran is credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse in 1980
The millionaire established a research fund for potential COVID treatments in 2020 and donated $1 million to the company, according to MIT Technology Review
One user called him a “legitimate mansplainer,” while another said Delta should have refunded the woman’s seat after “damaging arrogant fool” Kirsch ruined her flight.
Another said: “What an asshole. She paid for first class and still had to deal with an idiot in her personal space.
A third added: “What’s happening here Steve is that people weigh the odds that you’re a genuinely rich guy or a creepy liar and, quite reasonably, end up with the latter.”
But some sided with the tech executive, saying they “bought their daughter’s dream home” with the money.
He said he offered a woman $100,000 to have her mas removed for the entire flight, claiming she works “for a drug company.”
One user called him a “legitimate mansplainer,” while another said Delta should have refunded the woman’s seat after “damaging arrogant fool” Kirsch ruined her flight
But some sided with the tech executive, saying they “bought their daughter’s dream home” with the money.
Another said: “Even if it was GUARANTEED if I got COVID I would take the $100k depending on where I go.”
The Silicon Valley veteran is credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse in 1980.
He co-founded Frame Technology Corp, which was acquired by Adobe in 1995, then founded Infoseek and sold it to Disney in 1999.
Airlines and airports dropped mask requirements after a court ruling in April 2022, although many travelers have continued to opt for face coverings on flights.