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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCory Booker's Terrible, No Good Startup/ Jeff Zucker's Son...Power & Privilege
Last edited Sat Aug 10, 2013, 02:53 PM - Edit history (2)
The End Nears for Cory Booker's Terrible, No Good StartupConnor Simpson 12:56 PM ET
Waywire, the video sharing startup founded by Newark mayor Cory Booker and funded by Google's Eric Schimidt, Oprah, and LinkedIn's Jeff Weiner, is for sale. What a shock! But no one's really certain how much the company is worth, and it's increasingly becoming a headache for Booker when he wants to focus on a Senate campaign. But that problem may not last much longer.
To hear Waywire and Cory Booker tell it, his founding investment was between $1 million and $5 million. But, shockingly, there are some who disagree with that valuation. Waywire is one of many Pinterest for video knockoffs, as Quartz's Tim Fernholz has explained, and not a particularly good one at that. The startup has already gone through a round of layoffs and moved out of their Manhattan office since its inception a little . Things aren't bleak yet, but they're heading in that direction.
Which is probably why Waywire's value has a very high ceiling and very low basement. Waywire could be worth anywhere between zero dollars and $10 million, an industry expert recently explained to The Atlantic Wire's Phillip Bump. The valuation would be on the higher end of that spectrum if there was some interesting technology working behind Waywire, but he guessed that wasn't the case. It's "all about how many users they have," he said, and the answer for Waywire is not good. Earlier this week, the Times reported Waywire only had 2,207 unique visitors in July.
For Booker, his connection to the company is increasingly becoming a problem. Since the story about Waywire broke in the Times earlier this week, he's increasingly faced scrutiny from the press and other candidates in the Senate race for his involvement. It was also embarrassing when the Times revealed Andrew Zucker, the15-year-old son of CNN president (and Booker pal) Jeff Zucker, was on the Waywire advisory board, for whatever reason. (Heckuva summer job, kiddo.) Zucker resigned shortly after. (Sorry, kiddo.)
But, at the same time, Booker's political prospects are like teflon at this point. Whether or not he's involved in a messy startup won't hurt his Senate chances. The Democratic primary is Tuesday.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/08/end-nears-cory-bookers-terrible-no-good-startup-relationship/68199/
duffyduff
(3,251 posts)I really and truly hope he is not on the 2016 presidential/vp ticket.
forestpath
(3,102 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)for some reason, probably follows a lot of people, and that's is how I came to know him at all. His tweets are always positive, I suppose is the word, but don't tell me much about him.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)starters.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)CNN's President Jeff Zucker was partners in the company and Zucker put his 15-year old son on the Board of Directors. What's a 15 year old doing on a Board of Directors. And, is Booker too close to Zucker/CNN. I'm kind of tired of this cozyness between Politicians, Wall Street, Media & Start Ups or Other Financial enterprises with that kind of money invested with so much opportunity for abuse. He's running as a Democrat for US Senate. Will his voting be influenced by the "influential."
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"For Booker, his connection to the company is increasingly becoming a problem. Since the story about Waywire broke in the Times earlier this week, he's increasingly faced scrutiny from the press and other candidates in the Senate race for his involvement. It was also embarrassing when the Times revealed Andrew Zucker, the15-year-old son of CNN president (and Booker pal) Jeff Zucker, was on the Waywire advisory board, for whatever reason. (Heckuva summer job, kiddo.) Zucker resigned shortly after. (Sorry, kiddo.)"
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Hassin Bin Sober
(26,273 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)Last edited Sat Aug 10, 2013, 10:29 PM - Edit history (1)
Edited: I mistakenly said Russ Feingold instead of Rush Holt. Correcting.
Rush is Very Liberal. So what's going on there. Did Russ get in too late to make a difference?
Who could vote for Booker...when he has a very mixed past as a Democrat. He sounds more Crony Repug than Dem to me.
smokey nj
(43,853 posts)I'm voting for Rush.