Hyperloop One cofounder Shervin Pishevar, Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd and Hyperloop cofounder Brogan BamBrogan (left to right) David Becker / Getty Images
Hyperloop One, the transportation startup developing a high-speed shuttle, has filed a countersuit against its cofounder Brogan BamBrogan, who last week filed suit against the company. The countersuit alleges that BamBrogan acted "illegally and in bad faith" by “manufactur[ing] a rebellion and incit[ing] conflict in a transparent attempt to seize control of the Company.”
Orin Synder, Hyperloop's lawyer, sent the following statement:
“Today’s lawsuit demonstrates that these four men staged a failed coup to try to take over Hyperloop One and then conspired to start their own competing company. They engaged in gross misconduct in pursuit of their illegal plan and will now be held fully accountable in a court of law. Today’s filing also makes clear that the complaint filed last week was an attempt to divert attention, through lies and half-truths, from the erratic and unlawful behavior of these four individuals. Hyperloop One’s board and management are unified in standing up to this illicit attack on the company, and today the company is stronger than ever in its mission to bring the Hyperloop to the world.”
The countersuit comes less than a week after news broke that Hyperloop One cofounder Brogan BamBrogan has filed an incendiary lawsuit against his own company alleging misuse of funds, defamation, and assault. BamBrogan was an early engineer at SpaceX and served as Hyperloop One's chief technology officer until he abruptly left the company this month.
The lawsuit alleges that BamBrogan and other employees were wrongfully terminated for trying to bring attention to mismanagement at Hyperloop One. Their complaint named Hyperloop cofounder Shervin Pishevar (a well-known Silicon Valley venture capitalist) and his brother Afshin Pishevar (Hyperloop One's former chief legal officer) as defendants, along with Hyperloop One's vice chairman Joe Lonsdale, who also cofounded Palantir.
Prior to filing the lawsuit, BamBrogan requested a restraining order alleging harassment against Afshin Pishevar for leaving a noose on BamBrogan's desk. A judge swiftly denied the restraining order because both BamBrogan and Afshin Pishevar, who left the company just befo no longer work together. According to the lawsuit, the noose was placed on BamBrogan's desk after a group of 11 employees wrote a letter of complaints about how the company was mismanaged. The suit alleges that the defendants retaliated by saying they would “‘come after them" and "bleed the employees dry with frivolous lawsuits.”
The company has taken a tumultuous turn since announcing an additional $80 million in fundraising and a deal with Vladimir Putin this spring. The company started the company a couple years ago based on a futuristic transportation proposal put forth by Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. Musk has not put his support behind either of the companies currently trying to bring Hyperloop concepts to market.
This is breaking news, we will update the post as we learn more. Check out our previous coverage of the restraining order and lawsuit.
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