Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson has resigned his position at Draper Fisher Jurvetson following an internal investigation into claims of alleged sexual harassment. The entrepreneur is also stepping away from his board duties at Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX.
“Steve Jurvetson is on a leave of absence from the SpaceX and Tesla boards pending resolution of these allegations,” a Tesla spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.
“DFJ’s culture has been, and will continue to be, built on the values of respect and integrity in all of our interactions,” DFJ said in a statement. “We are focused on the success of our portfolio companies, as well as the long-term vision for the firm and will continue to operate with the highest professional standards.”
A DFJ spokesperson did not respond to questions from BuzzFeed News asking for additional comment. News of Jurvetson’s exit was first reported by Recode.
Jurvetson’s departure is the latest upset in a venture capital industry that has been rocked by revelations of rampant sexual harassment and misbehavior. Earlier this year, investors including Binary Capital’s Justin Caldbeck and 500 Startups’ Dave McClure both left their firms following stories of alleged mistreatment and harassment of women entrepreneurs.
“I am leaving DFJ to focus on personal matters, including taking legal action against those whose false statements have defamed me,” Jurvetson said in a statement that he later tweeted.
Last month an entrepreneur named Keri Kukral posted on Facebook that “women approached by a founding partner of Draper Fisher Jurvetson…
