Famed venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson is leaving his job at Draper Fisher Jurvetson in the wake of an investigation into sexual harassment.
DFJ announced the move in a letter to limited partners on Monday. The firm released a statement to Recode that read:
As of today and by mutual agreement, Steve Jurvetson will be leaving DFJ. DFJ's culture has been, and will continue to be, built on the values of respect and integrity in all of our interactions. 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.
The firm did not specify the reason for the ouster in the letter, but sources said that the investigation uncovered behaviors by Jurvetson that were unacceptable related to a negative tone toward women entrepreneurs.
In a one-sentence statement to Recode, Jurvetson said: "I am leaving DFJ to focus on personal matters, including taking legal action against those who have defamed me."
The departure comes as Jurvetson, one of the highest-profile entrepreneurs on Sand Hill Road, was being investigated by his own firm for harassment. An entrepreneur had alleged predatory behavior was "rampant" at DFJ. The woman, Keri Kukral, did not name Jurvetson in her Facebook post.
DFJ responded at the time that it had never received such a complaint from any of its partners or investors. "Earlier this summer we became aware of indirect and secondhand allegations about one partner, Steve Jurvetson," a DFJ spokeswoman said. "We immediately opened an independent investigation, which is ongoing at this time."
Jurvetson currently sits on the boards of SpaceX and Tesla.
—By Theodore Schleifer, Recode.net.
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