Tech tycoon offered woman $100k to take off mask on Delta flight

A technology mogul has been branded a ‘creep’ after he claims to have offered a woman $100,000 to take off her face mask on a first-class Delta flight.

Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth a reported $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling on the full flight.

He said that he offered a woman $100k to remove her mask for the entire flight, claiming that she worked ‘for a pharma company.’

Kirsch tweeted: ‘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.’

Steve Kirsch, 67, who is worth a reported $230 million, made the strange claims on Friday and even posted a selfie of himself smiling on the full flight

Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a ‘creepy liar’, with dozens slamming the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant

The millionaire created a research fund for potential COVID treatments n 2020, donating $1million into the venture, according to MIT Technology Review.

But it also claims that he has since started to question Covid vaccines which have been authorized by governments across the globe, and intentionally spreads ‘misinformation’ about the pandemic online.

His Twitter claims he is a ‘truth-teller’ and a ‘critical thinker’ and he regularly shares articles which are skeptical of Covid vaccinations and masks.

Kirsch then launched into a lengthy rant to explain his interactions with the woman who was keen to wear a mask.

He said: ‘I started the bidding at $100. 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.

‘She took off her mask as soon as the breakfast was served!!!! Because everyone knows you can’t get infected while you are eating!!

‘Maybe next time I’ll sit next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank.’

Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a ‘creepy liar’, with dozens slamming the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant.

The millionaire created a research fund for potential COVID treatments n 2020, donating $1million into the venture according to MIT Technology Review

One user called him an ‘entitled mansplainer’, while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after ‘noxious arrogant fool’ Kirsch ruined her flight.

Another said: ‘What a jackass thing to do. She paid for First Class and still had to deal with an idiot in her personal space.’

A third added: ‘What’s happening here, Steve, is that people are weighing the likelihood of you being a sincere rich guy vs. a creepy liar and quite reasonably landing on the latter.’

But some were on the side of the tech executive, saying they would have ‘bought their daughter’s dream home’ with the money.

He said that he offered a woman $100k to remove her mas for the entire flight, claiming that she worked ‘for a pharma company’

One user called him a ‘entitled mansplainer’, while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after ‘noxious arrogant fool’ Kirsch ruined her flight

But some were on the side of the tech executive, saying they would have ‘bought their daughter’s dream home’ with the money

Another said: ‘Even if it was GUARANTEED I’d get COVID I’d take the $100k, depending on where I was going.’

The Silicon Valley Veteran was credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse back in 1980.

He co-founded Frame Technology Corp which was bought out by Adobe in 1995 and then went on to create Infoseek and then sold it to Disney in 1999.

Airlines and airports dropped mask mandates following a court ruling in April 2022, though many travelers continued to opt for face coverings on flights.