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Cameron Winklevoss

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Cameron Winklevoss
Personal information
NationalityUnited States
Born (1981-08-21) August 21, 1981 (age 43)
Southampton, New York
Height1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
Sport
SportRowing
College teamHarvard University
ClubUnited States Rowing Training Center

Cameron Howard Winklevoss (born August 21, 1981) is an American rower and entrepreneur. He competed in the men's pair rowing event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with his identical twin brother and rowing partner Tyler Winklevoss. Winklevoss co-founded HarvardConnection (later re-named ConnectU) along with his brother Tyler Winklevoss, and Harvard classmate Divya Narendra. He is also a co-founder of social media website GuestofaGuest with Rachelle Hruska.

Early life and education

Cameron Winklevoss was born in Southampton, New York and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut.[1] His father, Dr. Howard Winklevoss, was a professor of actuarial science at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, [2] author of Pension mathematics with numerical illustrations, and founder of Winklevoss Consultants and Winklevoss Technologies. Cameron began playing classical piano at 6 years old, which he studied for 12 years.[3] At an early age, he (left-handed) and his identical "mirror-image" twin brother Tyler (right-handed) demonstrated a pattern of teamwork, building Legos together and playing musical instruments.[4][5] At the age of 13, they taught themselves html and started a web-page company, which developed websites for businesses.[6]

Winklevoss went to the Greenwich Country Day School before attending the Brunswick School for high school.[7] He showed a fondness for the classics in high school, studying Latin and Ancient Greek. During his junior year, he co-founded the crew program with his twin brother Tyler Winklevoss.[8][9] He matriculated to Harvard University in 2000 for his undergraduate studies where he majored in Economics, earning a B.A. and graduating in 2004.[6] At Harvard, he was a member of the men's varsity crew team, the Porcellian Club[10][11] and the Hasty Pudding Club.

In 2009, Winklevoss entered the Said Business School at the University of Oxford to study for a Master of Business Administration.[4] While at Oxford, he was a member of Christ Church College,[12] an Oxford Blue, and rowed in the Blue Boat in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race.[13][14]

ConnectU

Main article: ConnectU

In December of 2002, Winklevoss, along with his brother Tyler Winklevoss and classmate Divya Narendra, wanted a better way to connect with fellow students at Harvard University and other universities.[15] As a result, the three conceived of a social network for Harvard students named HarvardConnection,[16] which was to expand to other schools around the country.[17][18] In January of 2003, they enlisted the help of fellow Harvard student, programmer and friend Sanjay Mavinkurve to begin building HarvardConnection.[19] Sanjay commenced work on HarvardConnection but left the project in the spring of 2003 when he graduated and went to work for Google.[20]

After the departure of Sanjay Mavinkurve, Winklevoss, his brother, and Narendra approached Narendra’s friend, Harvard student and programmer Victor Gao to work on HarvardConnection.[19] Gao agreed to program in a work for hire capacity and was paid $400 for his work on the website code during the summer and fall of 2003, however, he excused himself thereafter due to personal obligations.[18]

Enter Mark Zuckerberg

In November 2003, upon the referral of Victor Gao, Winklevoss, his brother, and Narendra approached Mark Zuckerberg about joining the HarvardConnection team.[21] On the evening of November 30th, they all met in the dining hall of Harvard's Kirkland House, where Winklevoss, his brother, and Narendra explained to an enthusiastic Zuckerberg the HarvardConnection website; a social network for Harvard students that was to expand to other schools around the country.[17] During the meeting, Zuckerberg allegedly entered into an oral contract with Narendra and the Winklevosses and become a partner in HarvardConnection.[22] Zuckerberg allegedly chose to be compensated in the form of sweat equity.[23][24]

Later that evening, Zuckerberg told Winklevoss in an email that he didn't expect completion of the project to be difficult. Zuckerberg writes: "I read over all the stuff you sent and it seems like it shouldn't take too long to implement, so we can talk about that after I get all the basic functionality up tomorrow night."[21] The next day, on December 1st, 2003, Zuckerberg sent another email to the HarvardConnection team. "I put together one of the two registration pages so I have everything working on my system now. I'll keep you posted as I patch stuff up and it starts to become completely functional."[17] On December 4th, 2003, Zuckerberg writes: "Sorry I was unreachable tonight. I just got about three of your missed calls. I was working on a problem set."[17] On December 10, 2003: "The week has been pretty busy thus far, so I haven't gotten a chance to do much work on the site or even think about it really, so I think it's probably best to postpone meeting until we have more to discuss. I'm also really busy tomorrow so I don't think I'd be able to meet then anyway."[17] On December 17th, 2003, a week later: "Sorry I have not been reachable for the past few days. I've basically been in the lab the whole time working on a cs problem set which I"m still not finished with."[17] On January 8, 2004, Zuckerberg emailed to say he was "completely swamped with work [that] week" but had "made some of the changes ... and they seem[ed] to be working great" on his computer. He said he could discuss the site starting the following Tuesday, on Jan. 13.[21] On January 11th, 2004, Zuckerberg registered the domain name thefacebook.com.[25] Three days later, on January 14th, 2004, Zuckerberg met again with Winklevoss, his brother, and Divya Narendra about HarvardConnection, however, he never mentioned registering the domain name thefacebook.com or a competing website, rather he reported progress on HarvardConnection, told them he would continue to work on it, and would email the group later in the week.[21] On February 4th, 2004, Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com.

Winklevoss, his brother, and Narendra attempted to force the Harvard administration to act on what they viewed as a violation of the university’s honor code. They took the case to the Harvard Administrative Board and the university president Larry Summers, but it was ruled to be outside of university jurisdiction.[26]

Later, a partnership allegedly formed between i2hub, a popular peer-to-peer service at the time, and ConnectU. The partnership, called The Winklevoss Chang Group, jointly advertised their properties through bus advertisements as well as press releases. i2hub integrated its popular software with ConnectU's website, as part of the partnership. The team also jointly launched several projects and initiatives.[27][28]

Facebook Lawsuits

In 2004, ConnectU filed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging that creator Mark Zuckerberg had broken an oral contract with them. The suit stipulated that Zuckerberg had copied their idea[29][30] and illegally used source code intended for the website he was hired to create.[31][32][33][34] Facebook countersued in regards to Social Butterfly, a project put out by The Winklevoss Chang Group, an alleged partnership between ConnectU and i2hub, another campus service. It named among the defendants ConnectU, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, Divya Narendra, and Wayne Chang, founder of i2hub.[35] A settlement agreement for both cases was reached in February 2008, reportedly valued at $65 million.[36] However, in May 2010, it was reported that ConnectU is accusing Facebook of securities fraud on the value of the stock that was part of the settlement and wants to get the settlement undone. According to ConnectU's allegations, the value of the stock was worth $11 million instead of $45 million that Facebook presented at the time of settlement. This meant the settlement value, at the time, was $31 million, instead of the $65 million. [37][38] On August 26, 2010, New York Times reported that Facebook shares were trading at $76 per share in the secondary market, putting the total settlement value at close to $120 million.[39] [40] If the lawsuit to adjust the settlement to match the difference goes through, the value will quadruple to over $466 million. [41]

Quinn Emanuel Lawsuits

One of ConnectU's law firms, Quinn Emanuel, inadvertently disclosed the confidential settlement amount in marketing material by printing "WON $65 million settlement against Facebook".[42] Quinn Emanuel is seeking $13 million of the settlement. ConnectU fired Quinn Emanuel and sued the law firm for malpractice.[43] On August 25, 2010, an arbitration panel ruled that Quinn Emanuel "earned its full contingency fee". It also found that Quinn Emanuel committed no malpractice.[44]

The Winklevoss Chang Group Lawsuit

On December 21, 2009, i2hub founder Wayne Chang and The i2hub Organization launched a lawsuit against ConnectU and its founders, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, seeking 50% of the settlement. The complaint says "The Winklevosses and Howard Winklevoss filed [a] patent application, U.S. Patent Application No 20060212395, on or around March 15, 2005, but did not list Chang as a co-inventor." It also states "Through this litigation, Chang asserts his ownership interest in The Winklevoss Chang Group and ConnectU, including the settlement proceeds."[28] Lee Gesmer (of prominent law firm Gesmer Updegrove, LLP) posted the detailed 33-page complaint online. [45][27]

Guest of a Guest

Cameron is now the publisher of online site Guest of a Guest in New York and Los Angeles.

Rowing

Winklevoss began rowing at the age of 15, encouraged by family friends and the example of nextdoor neighbor Ethan Ayer who rowed at Harvard University and Cambridge University.[8] He began rowing at the Saugatuck Rowing Club on the Saugatuck River in 1997.[46] His first coach was Irishman James Mangan who coached him and his brother throughout high school.[47] Winklevoss' high school did not have a crew team, so his junior year he and his identical twin brother Tyler Winklevoss co-founded the crew program.[8] In the summer of 1999, he made the United States Junior National Rowing Team, competing in the coxed pair event with his brother at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.[47]

Cameron's rowing discipline is sweep rowing.[48] He enjoys playing the guitar and cycling, and lists his personal hero as his mother.[46]

Harvard

Winklevoss rowed at Harvard University for 4 years under legendary coach Harry Parker, while completing his undergraduate studies.[9] In 2004, he sat 6-seat in the "engine room" of the Harvard men's varsity heavyweight eight boat.[47] The 2004 crew was nicknamed the "God Squad" because, according to his brother, some of the them believed in god while the rest believed they were god.[49] As a Harvard Crimson in 2004, he helped the "God Squad" win the Eastern Sprints, the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship, and the Harvard-Yale Regatta to cap-off an undefeated collegiate racing season.[50]

In the summer of 2004, Winklevoss and the "God Squad" traveled to Lucerne, Switzerland to compete in the Lucerne Rowing World Cup. They defeated the 2004 British and French Olympic eight boats in the semi-final to earn a spot in the grand-final, in which they placed 6th. [51] The team then traveled to the Henley Royal Regatta where they competed in the Grand Challenge Cup. Winklevoss helped his team defeat the Cambridge University Blue Boat in the semi-final before they fell to the Dutch Olympic eight boat team in the final by 2⁄3 of a boat length.[52] The Dutch team went on to win the Olympic silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games a month later. [53]

2007 Pan American Games

In 2007, Winklevoss was named to the United States Pan American Team and competed at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[54] He won a silver medal in the men's coxless four event[55] and a gold medal in the men's eight event on the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.[56]

2008 Olympic Games

In 2008, Winklevoss was named to the United States Olympic Team and compested at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.[57] He rowed with his identical twin brother Tyler Winklevoss in the men's coxless pair event which took place at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. The brothers were coached by the legendary Ted Nash[9] and finished in 6th place overall.[58]

References

  1. ^ "NBC Olympics Cameron Winklevoss Athlete Bio". Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  2. ^ "Winklevoss Technologies About Us". Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  3. ^ Fryer, Jane (2010-04-02). "They're Oxford's start Boat Race rowers—6ft 5in identical twin hunks effortlessly brilliant time invent Facebook". The Daily Mail.
  4. ^ a b Betts, Hannah (2010-03-20). "Muscle-bound, Oxford-educated and multi-millionaires-meet the Winklevoss twins". The Times, The Sunday Times.
  5. ^ Jakobovits, Laura (2008-06-01). "Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss: Making waves at the Beijing Olympics". A Small Magazine.
  6. ^ a b Kidd, Patrick (2010-01-15). "'Facebook twins' Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss offer Oxford experience in Boat Race". The Times, The Sunday Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Gustafson, Colin (2010-08-16). "Twins back in spotlight with upcoming Facebook film". Greenwich Time. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Riley, Cailin (2008-07-10). "Twin rowers headed to Olympics". The Southampton Press.
  9. ^ a b c Matson, Barbara (2008-07-27). "Rowing Machines: Winklevoss twins hope to form successful pair in Beijing". The Boston Globe.
  10. ^ Ben Mezrich. The Accidental Billionaires. p. 28.
  11. ^ "Aaron Sorkin toured Harvard's secret clubs for Facebook film". New York Post. 2010-07-25.
  12. ^ Milmo, Cahal (2010-03-03). "Is there anything the Winklevoss twins can't do?". The Independent. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Rossingh, Danielle (2010-04-01). "Harvard Twins Who Sue Facebook Now Take on Cambridge in 156th Boat Race". Bloomberg. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ Whittle, Natalie (2010-03-05). "Social networking pioneers...and killer oarsmen". Financial Times.
  15. ^ Bourne, Claire (2004-11-23). "Web sites click on campus". USA Today.
  16. ^ Pontin, Jason (2007-08-12). "Who owns the concept if no one signs the papers?". The New York Times.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Carlson, Nicholas (2010-03-05). "At Last--The full story of how Facebook was founded". The Business Insideer.
  18. ^ a b ConnectU, Inc. v. Facebook, Inc. et al, Declaration of Victor Gao (Massachusetts Federal Court 2007-09-21), Text.
  19. ^ a b McGinn, Timothy (2004-05-28). "Online facebooks duel over tangled web of authorship". The Harvard Crimson.
  20. ^ Richtel, Matt (2009-04-11). "Tech recruiting clashes with immigration rules". The New York Times.
  21. ^ a b c d "Facebook accused of stealing idea". The Daily Free Press, Boston University. 2004-09-09.
  22. ^ Bombardieri, Marcella (2004-09-17). "Online Adversaries: Rivalry between college-networking websites spawns lawsuit". The Boston Globe.
  23. ^ Macatee, Rebecca (2010-10-01). "The real Cameron Winklevoss says 'The Social Network' is 'nonfiction'". PopEater.
  24. ^ Milcetich, Jess (2005-03-16). "Thefacebook.com faces lawsuit from rival site". The Diamondback, University of Maryland.
  25. ^ "WHOIS Lookup thefacebook.com". Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  26. ^ Sharif, Shirin (2004-08-05). "Harvard grads face off against thefacebook.com". The Stanford Daily.
  27. ^ a b Lee Gesmer (2010-01-18). "Chang v. Winklevoss Complaint". Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  28. ^ a b Caroline McCarthy (2010-01-04). "Fresh legal woes for ConnectU founders". CNET News.
  29. ^ Michael Levenson (2008-06-27). "Facebook, ConnectU settle dispute:Case an intellectual property kerfuffle". Boston Globe.
  30. ^ Malcom A. Glenn, "For Now, Facebook Foes Continue Fight Against Site", The Harvard Crimson, July 27, 2007
  31. ^ O'Brien, Luke (November/December 2007). "Poking Facebook". 02138. p. 66. Retrieved 2008-06-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ McGinn, Timothy J. (2004-09-13). "Lawsuit Threatens To Close Facebook". Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on 2004-09-13. Retrieved 2008-03-08. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2007-08-15 suggested (help)
  33. ^ Maugeri, Alexander (2004-09-20). "TheFacebook.com faces lawsuit". The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  34. ^ Tryhorn, Chris (2007-07-25). "Facebook in court over ownership". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  35. ^ California Northern District Court (2007-03-09). "The Facebook, Inc. v. Connectu, LLC et al". Justia.
  36. ^ Brad Stone (2008-06-28). "Judge Ends Facebook's Feud With ConnectU". New York Times.
  37. ^ Owen Thomas (2010-05-19). "Facebook CEO's latest woe: accusations of securities fraud". VentureBeat.
  38. ^ Nick Farrell (2010-05-21). "Facebook's Zuckerberg faces security fraud allegation". TechEye.
  39. ^ "Investors Value Facebook at Up to $33.7 Billion". New York Times. August 26, 2010.
  40. ^ Eric Eldon (February 12, 2009). "Financial wrinkle lost ConnectU some Facebook settlement dollars". VentureBeat.
  41. ^ Owen Thomas (May 19, 2010). VentureBeat http://venturebeat.com/2010/05/19/facebook-connectu-securities-fraud/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. ^ Dan Slater (2009-02-10). "Quinn Emanuel Inadvertently Discloses Value of Facebook Settlement". Wall Street Journal.
  43. ^ Zusha Elinson (2010-02-10). "Quinn Emanuel Brochure Spills Value of Confidential Facebook Settlement". The Recorder.
  44. ^ Nate Raymond (2010-09-15). "Arbitrators Confirm Quinn Emanuel's Fee in Facebook Settlement". The National Law Journal.
  45. ^ Lee Gesmer (2010-01-18). "The Road Goes on Forever, But the Lawsuits Never End: ConnectU, Facebook, Their Entourages". Mass Law Blog.
  46. ^ a b "USRowing Cameron Winklevoss Athlete Bio". Retrieved 2010-09-01.
  47. ^ a b c Berg, Aimee (2008-07-26). "Rowing Twins Take Control". Team USA.org. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  48. ^ "Team USA.org Cameron Winklevoss Athlete Bio". Retrieved 2010-09-01.
  49. ^ Susan Saint Sing. The Eight: A Season in the Tradition of Harvard Crew. p. 52.
  50. ^ McGinn, Timothy (2004-06-10). "Team of the Year: Harvard Heavies Rout All Comers, Crimson caps second undefeated season with another national title". The Harvard Crimson.
  51. ^ McGinn, Timothy (2004-07-02). "M. Heavyweight Crew Downs U.K., France: Crimson takes sixth at World Cup". The Harvard Crimson.
  52. ^ McGinn, Timothy (2004-07-09). "Dutch Edge Out Harvard First Varsity". The Harvard Crimson.
  53. ^ "WorldRowing.com Results". Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  54. ^ "USRowing 2007 Pan American Games Roster Announcement". USRowing. 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  55. ^ "Pan American Games Results". LA Times. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  56. ^ "Pan American Games Results". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  57. ^ "Meet Team USA". USA TODAY. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  58. ^ "2008 Summer Olympics Rowing Results". ESPN. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  • The Daily Truffle | Winklevoss Twins Come face to face with Josh Pence & Armie Hammer who play them in The Social Network
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