Embattled Uber investor Shervin Pishevar, accused by 5 women of sexual misconduct, is taking a leave of absence from his business interests
- Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar announced on Tuesday that he was taking a leave of absence from his investment firm, Sherpa Capital, as well as his role on the board at Virgin Hyperloop One, and the boards of his portfolio companies.
- His announcement comes in the wake of allegations from five women of sexual misconduct.
- Pishevar has denied these allegations and says that he's the subject of a smear campaign.
In the wake of allegations from five women alleging sexual misconduct, venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar announced on Tuesday that he was taking a leave of absence from his business interests.
Pishevar will be stepping away for the time being from his investment firm, Sherpa Capital, his role on the board at Virgin Hyperloop One where he is a cofounder and co-executive chairman, and the boards of his portfolio companies.
The move comes after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Pishevar in a report published by Bloomberg on Friday, in which five women said he either sexually harassed or assaulted them.
Pishevar has steadfastly maintained his innocence on all of these allegations. He says that he is the subject of a smear campaign, and has filed a lawsuit against a GOP political opposition research group, Definers Public Affairs, alleging that the firm is behind the alleged smear campaign. A represenative from Definers has denied involvement and has called Pishevar's accusations "delusional."
Besides the lawsuit, the incidents surrounding Pishevar's troubles have been unusual in other ways.
For instance, he said in November that he was arrested in London when a woman accused him of rape, and he was released without charges. But when several news outlets reported on the arrest, he said that the arrest report that had been sent to those outlets was faked. The London police department confirmed the arrest, the release without charges, and that the police report was forged.
Pishevar says that he will be devoting his time to pursuing this lawsuit, with the mission of being "vindicated."
Here's the full statement:
STATEMENT OF SHERVIN PISHEVAR
As many of you may have seen in recent news coverage, I filed a lawsuit last month against what I believe to be potential perpetrators of a smear campaign against me. As that legal action progresses, it is my priority to ensure that the Sherpa Capital family is not adversely affected.
Therefore, I have decided to take an immediate leave of absence from my duties at Sherpa Capital and Virgin Hyperloop One, as well as my portfolio company board responsibilities, so that I can pursue the prosecution of my lawsuit, where I am confident I will be vindicated. Through the discovery process, I hope to unearth who fabricated the fraudulent London "police report," and who is responsible for spreading false rumors about me.
This was a decision I came to and proposed on my own accord. It is not one I took lightly and it was a difficult decision that was guided by Sherpa Capital's abiding belief in service and putting others before ourselves.
I care deeply about the incredible teams at Sherpa Capital and our portfolio companies and Virgin Hyperloop One, and hope that my decision to take a leave of absence will eliminate any potential distraction to the great and important work being done at these companies.