I'll bet 50 cents this guy went to either Harvard business school or Stanford GSB. Any takers?

What a tool. It is so amazing to me that guys like this are empowered with hundreds of millions of investment dollars. Not one profound or interesting thing came out of his mouth in that clip, not one.

Well, it was a profound waste of time. Does that count?

Haters: You may not like Ross, but he's successful. He conceived and closed one of the web's top 5 deals of all time. Deals credential people. Plain and simple - and this will always be the case.

3:1 odds Levinsohn acquires Digg.

You just lost your 50 cents. Ross hasn't been anywhere near Harvard, Yale or Stanford, except (maybe) as a tourist.

I don't think deals make you a big swinging dick in Silicon Valley. Most VPs at any Wall Street I Bank could mop up the floor with this guy with "deals cred."

What's he ever invented? Patented? Changed or grew? Any industries disintermediated, like Peter Thiel? THAT guy gets my respect. He created something out of nothing.

What value, actually has Ross brought to the world beyond lining his own pockets? It's clear from this little soliloquy there isn't much new or independent thought going on there.

@Valleygrrl: Ah yes, of course -- because PayPal's success had nothing to do with riding on eBay's coattails? I'm not saying that Thiel's unaccomplished, but there's much to be said for spotting untapped opportunities. In the Valley, innovation is overrated, timing and insight into markets underrated.

oh bullshit owen. If it was really about riding on eBay's coattails, then eBay would have won the game...but note PayPal beat out everyone else who even tried. I'd say Thiel actuall had both innovation AND timing and insight. More than this clown Ross does. I mean honestly, can you say what he's talking about is *new* up there?

@Valleygrrl: Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you on Levinson versus Thiel.

@valleygrrl: peter may be both brilliant & insightful, but the original paypal business model had more to do with encryption technology on mobile devices (FieldLink / Confinity) than electronic payments for auctions. don't know whether he & Max should get credit for insight as much as innovation / adaptation.

anyway, not saying Peter doesn't deserve credit... but Ross ain't no slouch (tho i admit he's not saying much in that intvw). fwiw, i've met both and they're each impressive in their own ways.