Winklevoss Twins to Support Obama Campaign, Agree That “Zuckerberg Didn’t Build That”
"The Winklevii" were denied entry to the London Olympics Games for fear of disrupting the US rowing team.
By Constable Perkins
HOLLYWOOD — In a bizarre continuation of a story line that graced the silver screen and courtrooms across Silicon Valley, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss—known to millions as the “Winklevii”—have come out in support of the re-election of President Barack Obama.
Apparently, the impetus for this endorsement is the President’s now infamous statement on small business.
For the past month, Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his supporters have repeatedly badgered the President for the comment, made at an event in Roanoke, VA, on July 13, in which he asserted, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Obama’s opposition claims that statement illustrates that the President is anti-small business, a statement that Tyler Winklevoss resents.
“The President’s statement is about as dead-on of a statement of how small businesses succeed as we’ve ever heard,” said Tyler Winklevoss. “People will take your money and take your ideas and run off any build their own company without actually giving credit to those who started them.”
The Winklevoss Twins, who have recently set up a venture capital firm, felt the President’s understanding of how business works meshes with their own understanding of capitalism.
“We look for companies and entrepreneurs that can benefit from our capital and experience to make a profit. We want to work with people who know that success is a team effort, not the result of some individual epiphany,” added Cameron Winklevoss. “We were there at the beginning of the Web 2.0, and we know that building a small business is dependent on those who can bring dollars to the table. We support the president because his belief in collaboration leads to bigger success, be it in the private or public sector.”
The support of the Winklevoss Twins adds to the growing list of celebrities who have come out to support his re-election fundraising campaign — a point not lost on Republicans and their supporters.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called the twins “welfare millionaires” on Thursday, saying the Winklevii were no different than those who live off of government benefits. “They are the same as the woman who complains when her unemployment benefits run out. They look to get rich off of the money and hard work of others and then cry if they don’t get it. If they spent the time and money they invested suing [Mark] Zuckerberg on investing in America, they probably would be better venture capitalists.”
The Winklevoss Twins, barred by a $65 million settlement reached in 2011 with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, scoffed at Limbaugh’s assertion. “If he knew what venture capital does, he would have to take a long, hard look at what Bain Capital did,” said Tyler Winklevoss. “I’ve been fortunate to be blessed with a twin, but I think America is fortunate that Limbaugh wasn’t,” he added.
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Posted by Constable Perkins
on Aug 3 2012. Filed under Headlines.
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