Siminoff back in the game, joins Venrock

siminioff.jpgIt may take them a while, but the fabulously wealthy from Dot-com boom eventually realize they miss the action.

David Siminoff, the Silicon Valley investor who made billions in the late 1990s by making early investments in America Online, Yahoo and eBay, is the latest to return. The Capital Research investor retired after the boom, and practiced his golf game. Siminoff has dabbled only slightly in the latest Internet wave, backing for example 4INFO, a mobile search service. Now, he’s returning to join Venrock as a general partner, as part of that firm’s new $600 million fund. As Adam Lashinsky notes, he was half of one of the valley’s most prominent power couples during that first boom. His wife, Ellen Siminoff, was an early executive at Yahoo, known for being the doorkeeper for Yahoo’s deals with start-ups. She’s now chief executive of advertising company Efficient Frontier (we’d link to our profile three years ago about the couple, but it’s deeply buried in the Mercury News’s archives).

venrock.jpgSiminoff will invest in media companies. He was most recently CEO of Spark Networks, the parent of several online dating sites, including Jdate. Venrock’s latest fund will also target new alternative energy sources, it said. The firm, a 40-year-old venture arm the Rockefeller family, is also spiffing up its brand: It’s dropping the “Associates” from its name.

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About the Author, Matt Marshall

Matt Marshall is editor and CEO of VentureBeat. Follow him on Twitter at @mmarshall, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Siminoff certainly picked THE MOST unethical organization to join:
    -----
    to test the people don't read theory, or that not everyone gets the same
    opportunities, sending out this non joke. funding is available in all areas (media, healthcare, technology, security, etc.)

    **Need Millions Of Dollars For Your Business Or Pleasure??**

    Well, contact either of these three organizations:

    1. Venrock.com - A John D. Rockefeller family company - www.venrock.com
    - West Coast office, ask for Eric Copeland (650-475-3723), Ray Rothrock
    (650-475-3718 or 561-9580), or Tony Sun (650-475-3716). Or contact their New York, NY or Cambridge, MA offices if more convenient.

    2. BayMark Partners - David Hook or Norma Schwarz (972-991-5457)
    www.baymarkpartners.com

    3. Massey Burch - Bill Earthman or Teresa Core (615-665-3225) www.masseyburch.com

    And make sure to tell them Tamra referred you, therefore, you should NOT be denied for any reason. If Channler Drawdy (
    http://www.securities.state.ks.us/proceed/synop... ) was given $22 Million to play around with, you should NOT be denied under any circumstances. Prior to Venrock, Massey Burch and Dali-Hook providing Drawdy $22 million and more, Drawdy had beyond jacked up credit AND IRS liens in his credit report from *previously* defrauding others. Yet, without checking his credentials to manage $22 million, Venrock, Massey Burch and Dali-Hook (now BayMark Partners) funded him $22 million anyway.

    Within 6 months, Drawdy blew the $22 million, AND THEN he was paid a generous sum to leave SteelEye.com. Therefore, you should be able to receive whatever you need for any reason. And don't worry about not having experience or not doing well with your business. Venrock, Massey Burch and BayMark Partners will simply write off the loss and collect a generous tax break.

    I'd be shocked if you are, but if you are denied, turn around and class action sue either or all for discrimination given $22 million was given to Drawdy with no questions asked. Drawdy's fraudulent history has been well documented before and after Venrock.

    Venrock does not practice discretion when giving away millions. Just ask SteelEye.com and its unethical managers. Their management team, including Drawdy, didn't even meet their basic criteria for funding. They were even given access to employee data, which was used for fraud by Drawdy - Drawdy was applying for credit in employees' names.

    And FEDERAL banking funds are not just for their friends. All sorts of ideas could have been funded with $22 million, and could have helped economy.

    John D. Rockefeller's philosophy was to help others. He generously gave away $$, and even funded Spellman College - the historic college for black women.

    -------
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Tamra Burgess
    To: npack@horngroup.com
    CC:
    Subject: your press release on Venrock contained lies
    Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:37:47 -0400

    first big one: "Venrock has always focused on people. ..." THAT is a bold faced lie or I wouldn't have lost my life's income simply by taking a job at one of their investments which led to a convicted securities fraud being paid off AFTER manipulating careers of others, as well as applying for credit in the employees' names

    it is time to be more honest in your communications and stop covering up the lies
    -------
    Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:25:51 -0400
    Subject: Fw: your press release on Venrock contained lies
    To:
    Cc: npack@horngroup.com

    per Ms. Pack, it is her and her company's job to print non-factual information to boost the credibility of non-credible organizations and organizations which work diligently to cover up corporate fraud. this
    is why Ms. Pack and her company are paid the big bucks, which in this case comes directly from banking/investment funds

    reference: www.tam-ra.us/livelearn.php
    ---------
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Tamra Burgess
    To: daniel.primack@thomson.com, npack@horngroup.com
    Subject: Venrock.com, just when I thought I couldn't be shocked by anything new
    Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 20:44:58 -0400

    again, NO ONE should be denied funding after the information received today!

    so while you guys are writing "fluff" pieces to attempt to improve the reputation of creeps and frauds, I'll keep exposing Venrock for what it is: dishonest, unethical, irresponsible and lacking common sense.

    today spoke with David Stepp, legal counsel for Venrock. and his comments speak directly to the credibility, or lack thereof, of Venrock and its staff.

    Stepp feels Venrock is not responsible for the actions of Channler Drawdy ( http://www.securities.state.ks.us/proceed/synop... ) shortly after Venrock, Massey Burch and Dali-Hook provided $22 million in funding for SteelEye. per Stepp, Venrock simply provided the funding - even though Drawdy didn't meet their criteria for investment.

    this statement of Stepp is also completely false because Venrock was on the board for SteelEye.com, and Rothrock, Copeland and Roberts nodded away to and provided direction for each financial and employment decision of Drawdy.
    www.tam-ra.us/livelearn.php

    also in several audio recordings, one of which was created by the California Unemployment Appeals Board (my copy is available), Drawdy stated his (illegal and dishonest) actions towards me were done on behalf of the board (Rothrock, Copeland, Roberts, David Hook/Dali-Hook (now BayMark) and Bill Earthman/Massey Burch). Drawdy's actions were made on behalf of Venrock to cover up his fraud which Venrock subsequently led to Drawdy being paid off to leave quietly, while leaving me w/a laptop and audio recordings and other documentation related to Drawdy, and then expecting me to go away quietly after relocating for this investment.

    only Drawdy can state why he manipulated Sue Ellery and Tom Hunter out of the company, the company Sue Ellery started. it is not a mystery as to why Drawdy was vindictive towards me - I witnessed his physical abuse towards his wife after he had an affair with Maria Scott, which I also witnessed. I was also THE MOST vocal about the need for 15 managers over a 30 team staff, and they were all overpriced managers. my objections verbally and in writing led to Drawdy's email (see Wall of Shame - www.tam-ra.us/wos/shame-drawdy.php for copy of that email) to the entire company stating he was in charge and following the instructions of the board (Venrock, Dali-Hook Partners/David Hook, Bill Earthman/Massey Burch). shortly after this, the SteelEye investment w/Drawdy completely in charge, began to plummet quickly. and based upon the foundation that Drawdy built, I wouldn't trust SteelEye to secure a cup of dirty water for me.

    but again, Stepp boldly lied by stating today, Venrock was not responsible for Drawdy and that investments simply fail. however, as investors, it is their responsibility to follow their codes of ethics, follow thru on management criteria especially the criteria to make sound financial decisions, and invest responsibly. Venrock didn't check the credibility of Drawdy's statements that they were nodding to in board meetings. Venrock, nor Hook Partners or Massey Burch, just didn't care, they were completely irresponsible as investors or humans. and now they want to play the "our hands are clean" game.

    Drawdy, again prior to entering into agreement with SteelEye/Venrock, had IRS liens and other information in his credit report from previously defrauding others. (ref. Dave Young) and at time of SteelEye funding, Drawdy was under investigation by the Kansas SEC which led to his conviction.

    and Stepp is a graduate of Harvard, which speaks directly to my unrelated paper on British-ruled slavery, European immigration during Jim Crow, and the resulting leaders of this country, where they hail from, and their ethics in relation to diversity, truth and "exclusive" practices. the irony is the paper was written during the height of immigration protests a couple of years ago and after a public conversation with a known Ku Klux Klansman. the paper reflected my views as a 16th-generation pre-slavery African-American and the irony/incredibility of the klansman's complaints, given Harvard grads and post-slavery Euro-immigrants like Stepp are in charge.
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  • Matias Siminoff
    Hello, I am Matias Siminoff from Argentina.
    It is funny I was looking for other things and I found this article about somebody who has the same lastname I have.
    It is great to know a Siminoff made a great invertion, it seems all Siminoff think the same way.
    I mean, I am good saving money and starting from young, at 24 I bought a shop.
    Of course my invertions are not the same or so higher at yours, but it is glad to know about you´ve got the vision in the right time.
    Well, I don´t want to bore you, congratulations !!!
    Take care.
    Thanks for your time.
    Matias Siminoff from Argentina.
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