Logistics Startup Fires CEO For Expensing $76K At Strip Clubs

Published: Jan. 22, 2020, 6 p.m.

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Bloomberg reported December 13th that Sunnyvale, California-based Turvo \\u2014 a real-time collaborative logistics startup \\u2014 has implemented an important new company policy that essentially says employees aren\\u2019t allowed to entertain clients at strip clubs, and certainly not expense such bills to the company.

Why caused this new policy? Well, the company\\u2019s most recent CEO was fired in May for doing just that \\u2013 to quite a degree. Bloomberg cited legal filings that show Turvo\\u2019s board accused co-founder Eric Gilmore of expensing 76 thousand dollars at strip clubs over a three-year span, leading to his firing this past May.

Even over three years, I\\u2019m sure 76 grand could get you and your business clients plenty of sub-par strip joint food, some great booze and a lot of\\u2026 entertainment?

The court filings show 39-year-old Gilmore didn\\u2019t deny the accusations, but sued the company with the claim that Turvo didn\\u2019t follow proper protocol for his termination, which Turvo refuted before the two parties settled in September.

The company \\u2014 which makes software that aids logistics companies track freight and has about 85 million dollars in investment backing \\u2014 has since replaced Gilmore with new CEO Scott Lang, who joined Turvo just before Thanksgiving and implemented the no strip club rule.

Lang told Bloomberg that he\\u2019s focused on helping the company move past the scandal, and when asked about the idea of buttering up potential clients at strip clubs, he said, quote, \\u201cNever have. Never Will.\\u201d End quote.


Despite his firing in May, as of Dec. 18th, Gilmore\\u2019s LinkedIn profile still lists his position as Founder, Board Member and Special Advisor to CEO at Turvo \\u2013 perhaps indicating that the company has not completely severed ties with him after all.

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