Tech tycoon labelled 'creep' for offering $100,000 to woman to remove mask on flight
2 min read . Updated: 17 Mar 2023, 08:25 PM IST
Premium- A tech tycoon received backlash for allegedly offering $100,000 to a co-passenger to remove her face mask
A tech tycoon, Steve Kirsch, has been labelled a "creep" after he allegedly offered a woman $100,000 to remove her face mask while on a Delta flight. His Twitter thread went viral on the social media with many slamming him for his behaviour.
In a tweet, Steve Kirsch said, “I am on board a Delta flight right now. The person sitting next to me in first-class refused $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight."
“No joke. This was after I explained they don’t work. She works for a pharma company," he further said.
He said that he made this $100,000 offer to the co-passenger last Friday.
In a set of few more Twitter threads, Steve Kirsch explained that he started the bid at $100.
He said, “And I pointed out that when she removed the mask for eating and drinking, she could be infected with one breath. So she had full disclosure."
And sarcastically added that: “She took off her mask as soon as the breakfast was served!!!! Because everyone knows you can’t get infected while you are eating!!"
Concluding this with: “Maybe next time I’ll sit next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank."
Steve Kirsch was called a “creep" and an “entitled mansplainer" as the millionaire’s Twitter thread went viral.
“Harassed a woman minding her own business in a confined space where she couldn’t get away from you…. Lovely," one said.
Another charged: “Ew. Do you make a habit of offering money to random women to remove coverings from their bodies mid-air?"
“This is wildly creepy, you get that, right? Every part of this. From the request, to the expression, to the fact you decided to tweet this!"
Responding to his tweet, a healthcare expert said that there is enough data to show that masks work in preventing disease.
“There is ample data from hospitals that masks work. Removing your mask briefly to eat does not obliterate the protection offered by hours of masking because infection is linked to viral load. You were being really inappropriate & should have apologized," she said.
Responding to the attack on the social media, Steve Kirsch said he was not trying “to compel them to do anything they didn’t want to do."
“All the conversations were cordial. I even shared the tweet with her. The question was simply to assess how strongly people believed the false narrative that masks protect them. That’s it," he said.
