The tech mogul who offered a woman $100,000 to remove her mask aboard Delta flight is called ‘creep’ and ‘weird’, but some are on his side
- Steve Kirsch, 67, posted a selfie of himself smiling throughout the flight along with his bizarre tweet.
- He said he offered a woman $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight, claiming she worked “for a pharmaceutical company.”
- Opinions are divided about the controversial offer, with some calling it a “noxious creep” while others saying they would accept the offer.
A tech mogul has been branded a “creep” after he claims to have offered a woman $100,000 to remove her face mask on a first-class Delta flight.
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth $230 million, made the bizarre claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling throughout the flight.
He said he offered a woman $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight, claiming she worked “for a pharmaceutical company.”
Kirsch tweeted: ‘I’m aboard a Delta flight right now. The person sitting next to me in first class turned down $100,000 to remove his mask for the entire flight.
‘It is not a joke. This was after I explained that they don’t work.
Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth $230 million, made the bizarre claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling throughout the flight.
Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a “creepy liar,” with dozens criticizing the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant.
The millionaire created a research fund for possible COVID treatments in 2020, donating $1 million to the company, according to MIT Technology Review.
But he also claims that he has since begun to question Covid vaccines that have been authorized by governments around the world, and intentionally spreads “misinformation” about the pandemic online.
His Twitter claims he is a ‘dictator of the truth’ and a ‘critical thinker’ and he regularly shares articles that are skeptical of Covid vaccines and masks.
Kirsch then went on a lengthy tirade to explain his interactions with the woman who was eager to wear a mask.
He said: ‘I started the offer at $100. And I pointed out that when you take off your mask to eat and drink, you could get infected with one breath. Then she had a full reveal.
‘He took off his mask as soon as breakfast was served! Because everyone knows you can’t catch it while eating!!
“Maybe next time I’ll sit next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank.”
Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a “creepy liar,” with dozens criticizing the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant.
The millionaire created a research fund for possible COVID treatments in 2020, donating $1 million to the company according to MIT Technology Review.
One user called him an “authorized explainer,” while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after “noxious arrogant jerk” Kirsch botched her flight.
Another said: ‘What a stupid thing to do. He paid for first class and still had to deal with an idiot in his personal space.
A third added: “What’s going on here, Steve, is people are weighing the likelihood of you being a straight-talking rich guy vs. a creepy liar and, quite reasonably, landing on the latter.”
But some sided with the tech executive, saying they would have “buyed his daughter’s dream home” with the money.
He said he offered a woman $100k to take her mas off for the entire flight, claiming she worked “for a pharmaceutical company.”
One user called him an “authorized explainer,” while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after “noxious arrogant jerk” Kirsch botched her flight.
But some sided with the tech executive, saying they would have “buyed his daughter’s dream home” with the money.
Another said: “Even if I was GUARANTEED to get COVID, I’d take the $100k, 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 later created Infoseek and later sold to Disney in 1999.
Airlines and airports dropped mask mandates following a court ruling in April 2022, though many travelers continued to choose to wear face coverings on flights.