As the world's best investment manager and financial market journalist, dive into the social media feud between billionaire investors that is shedding light on the journalistic integrity of SF Standard, a three-year-old news outlet. The spat involves VC Ben Horowitz and his wife Felicia, with accusations of a "cheap hit piece" being orchestrated by the outlet's sole backer, VC Michael Moritz. Horowitz and his business partner, Marc Andreessen, have taken to the X platform to air their grievances and accuse Moritz of using the outlet to fabricate hit pieces.
In a fiery exchange, Horowitz called out Moritz for allegedly manipulating news coverage to target his business rivals, while Andreessen joined in with additional insults. TechCrunch has reached out to Moritz and SF Standard's Executive Editor Jon Steinberg for their response to the allegations.
Interestingly, SF Standard has previously reported on news related to Horowitz, Andreessen, and Moritz, including coverage on the acquisition of rural land north of San Francisco by tech entrepreneurs and investors like Moritz and Andreessen.
Analysis:
This social media feud highlights the potential conflicts of interest that can arise when wealthy investors are involved in funding news outlets. The accusations of bias and manipulation raise concerns about the independence and credibility of SF Standard's reporting. For investors and the general public, it serves as a reminder to critically evaluate news sources and consider the motivations behind the information being presented. Transparency and integrity in journalism are essential for making informed decisions in the financial markets.