229:
public. He asked a staffer to sift through a large photo dump, looking for photos useful to the campaign, but the staffer stopped and was outraged when she saw pictures which included Kremen's breastfeeding romantic partner with one breast visible. The partner, Essy Stone, reportedly said, "He was just being careless, there’s nothing malicious about it." But there were other accusations, including bullying, campaigning as a nonprofit, and a threat to harm a
Democratic club that planned a Middle East resolution that Kremen opposed. Multiple local politicians rapidly and publicly called on Kremen to step down, leading to him ending the campaign. In addition, the resulting attention revealed 11 internal complaints from Water Board employees, causing Kremen to step down as Water Board Chair, while retaining his board seat. An internal investigation followed.
214:
his campaign. In 2022, he cast a key vote in a 4-3 decision to put a "deliberately misleading" initiative on the ballot, which claimed to be imposing term limits on the Water Board, but which actually lengthened the existing (and unmentioned) term limits. The vote cost the water board's taxpayers $ 3.2 million dollars, and barely passed with 50.56% of the public vote. This initiative extended Kremen's own term as well as the terms of board members who had been there for 26 and 22 years, with salaries and benefits up to $ 79,000 per year for the part-time job.
89:. Funded by private investors in November 1994, he launched the online personals service Match.com in April 1995. After troubles with venture capitalists over his insistence that the company serve profitable alternative market segments including the LGBT market, he left Match.com in March 1996, remaining on the board. Over Kremen's objections, Match.com was sold to
119:, US patent number 5,706,434, which he later sold for over $ 1,000,000. Additionally, Kremen holds two other patents in financial-related systems management: US patent number 7,698,219 and US patent number 7,890,436. and a patent for verifying employment online: United States Patent number 8,533,110.
213:
Board of
Directors in the 2014 election, after spending $ 479,000 on the election for a job that paid $ 53,626.74, described as "stunning...for a water board election". On January 13, 2015, the Board elected him as the 2015 Board Chair. He was re-elected in 2018 after spending only about $ 10,000 on
228:
Assessor in 2021 and 2022, seeking to unseat 27-year incumbent Larry Stone. After contributing $ 170,000 of his own money, and raising another $ 71,000 from others, he dropped his campaign in
February 2022 after getting into conflict with a campaign staffer, who resigned and took her complaints
260:
and fraudulently had the domain transferred to his name. Kremen sued Cohen for the return of the sex.com domain name. As Cohen had profited from sex.com while assigned to him, Kremen was awarded a judgment of $ 65 million against Cohen. Cohen fled to Mexico and moved the money offshore. Kremen
482:
494:
507:
452:
170:, WaterSmart Software and CapGain Solutions as well as involved with local non-profit organizations. He is also a co-founder of Menlo Incubator, which is an early-stage startup program that focuses heavily on mentorship and
100:
From 1995 to 1996, Kremen co-founded and served as president of NetAngels.com, Inc., an
Internet profiling and personalization company that suggested web sites to users. It merged with Firefly Networks, and then was sold to
267:
reported Cohen had been arrested in Mexico and turned over to US authorities. Kremen sold sex.com in 2006 to Boston-based Escom LLC for $ 15 million in cash and stock, and sold sex.net for $ 454,500 later that year.
146:
He was also founder and chairman of
Sociogramics, a financial services company that focuses on bringing credit to the underbanked, having raised seed capital from Tugboat Ventures, Harmony Venture Partners,
1281:
197:
Kremen was an elected board member and president of the local
Purissima Hills Water District from 2010-2014. Kremen's romantic partner Essy Stone now serves on that board. Kremen was appointed to the
1081:
261:
obtained Cohen's Rancho Santa Fe mansion, to which he relocated after the court case resolved. In 2003, Kremen successfully litigated against
Network Solutions. On October 28, 2005, the
732:
750:
413:
1056:
615:
561:
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Issued April 13, 2010: Methods, systems and agreements for increasing the likelihood of repayments under a financing agreement for renewable energy equipment.
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in over 100 companies (individually or through venture capital funds), of which several have gone public or had liquidity events.
1251:
203:
764:
694:"Sam Liccardo and Gary Kremen: Netroots Nation can inspire change in San Jose where it matters most: between elections"
1221:(an account of the conflict between Gary Kremen and Stephen Michael Cohen for control of the internet domain sex.com).
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35:
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182:
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In 1999, Kremen was listed as an equity-holding officer or director of
Brightcube, Inc. The same year, he sold
22:(born 20 September 1963) is an American engineer, entrepreneur and politician who founded the personals site
1194:
332:
128:
article on "millionaires who don't feel rich" reported that Kremen estimated his net worth at $ 10 million.
717:
1195:
Diamond.com Shines Bright After
Selling for $ 7.5 Million in One of the Biggest Domain Deals Ever Reported
431:
736:
634:
62:
in 1981. He then graduated with bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from
497:
Issued
February 15, 2011: Billing and payment methods and systems enabling consumer premises equipment
1153:
316:
1123:
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 01-15899 D.C. No. CV-98-20718-JW Opinion
871:
619:
63:
508:"United States Patent: 8533110 - Methods and apparatus for verifying employment via online data"
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Kremen launched the software firm Los Altos Technology and headed the company until late 1992.
59:
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414:"Microsoft Signs Definitive Agreement To Acquire Privacy Technology Leader Firefly Network"
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United States Patent and Trademark Office, 1998-01-06. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
296:
135:, which raised $ 6.9 million from investors in January 2010, $ 25 million from
124:
39:
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186:
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829:"Controller Appoints 3 Members to Board Overseeing Clean Energy Projects Act"
656:
1182:
Be Careful what You Wish For: The Continuing Saga of Gary Kremen and Sex.com
616:"Gary Kremen's New Venture, Sociogramics, Wants To Make Banking Human Again"
933:"Santa Clara County voters OK term limits measure criticized as misleading"
733:"From sex to solar panels, Match.com founder will tell all at Northwestern"
377:
109:
94:
71:
1057:"Santa Clara County water district sets scope of harassment investigation"
981:"Kremen Drops Out of Assessor Race after Accusations of Sexual Harassment"
578:
244:
808:
638:
360:
765:"UC Merced Welcomes Four New Board of Trustee Members | Newsroom"
670:
575:"Clean Power Finance drinks $ 37M to cure 'solar hardware hangovers'"
185:
foundation board member. He is also a board member of the nonprofit
171:
102:
86:
23:
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Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
465:
115:
Kremen is credited as a primary inventor on a 1995-filed patent for
219:
The Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Joint Powers Authority
148:
252:
in 1994 as well as jobs.com, housing.com, and autos.com. In 1995,
38:
from 2014 through 2022. Since 1993, Kremen has been a private and
875:
872:"Match.com Founder Narrowly Wins Seat On Santa Clara Water Board"
248:
238:
90:
27:
1082:"Investigation into Silicon Valley water director trudges along"
1107:
382:"Love's labor lost: Online matchmaker still seeks love, money."
140:
1032:"San Jose water board member sees internal complaints surface"
156:
131:
Kremen is the founder of residential solar financing start-up
911:"California Form 460 for Gary Kremen for Water District 2018"
890:"California Form 460 for Gary Kremen for Water District 2014"
1007:"Calls intensify for Silicon Valley's Gary Kremen to resign"
957:"Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Members (salaries)"
691:
160:
635:"CrowdFlower Co-Founder Lukas Biewald Becomes CEO (Again)"
143:
in September 2011, and $ 62 million from other investors.
1231:
831:. California State Controller's Office. January 16, 2014.
751:"Gary Kremen Joins Board as Identiv Positions for Growth"
217:
Kremen was at some point appointed by the Water Board to
51:
552:
Google invests $ 75M into Clean Power Finance solar fund
202:
Citizens Oversight Board by California State Controller
218:
439:
403:, via wired.com, August 2003. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
387:, via sfgate.com, 1998-02-12. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
166:
Kremen is the founding investor and a board member of
522:"In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don't Feel Rich"
1184:
DNJournal.com, March, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
847:"San Jose politician accused of sharing nude photos"
1197:
DNJournal.com, 2006-05-23. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
333:
Web site founder adjusts to life in Rancho Santa Fe
178:appointed him a member of the Board of Directors.
1171:Foxnews.com, 2006-01-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
563:Google Invests $ 75 Million in Home Solar Venture
363:SECInfo.com, 1999-07-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
1243:
785:. Purissima Hills Water District. Archived from
840:
838:
716:. Physic Ventures. May 16, 2011. Archived from
93:for $ 7 million in 1998 and sold by Cendant to
692:Sam Liccardo and Gary Kremen (June 19, 2013).
591:
16:American engineer, entrepreneur and politician
1125:Findlaw, 2003-07-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
572:
289:"Gary Kremen - The Brutal Battle for Sex.com"
835:
714:"WaterSmart Software Taps into Seed Funding"
613:
1277:Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni
930:
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286:
1100:
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432:"Computer.com homepage offers it for sale"
97:a year and a half later for $ 50 million.
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597:"Clean Power Finance Raises $ 37 Million"
541:Greentech Media, Retrieved on 2009-01-05
373:
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1159:, 2005-10-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
809:"Purissima Hills Water District Board"
346:, 2004-05-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
1203:
495:United States Patent number 7,890,436
483:United States Patent number 7,698,219
366:
356:
354:
352:
277:
232:
653:"WaterSmart® Closes $ 4.5M Series A"
361:Brightcube Inc, 10SB12G, On 7/13/99
192:
13:
614:Lora Kolodny (February 24, 2012).
349:
77:
14:
1298:
1287:American people of Jewish descent
1272:People from Lincolnwood, Illinois
1225:
211:Santa Clara Valley Water District
36:Santa Clara Valley Water District
1257:American computer businesspeople
870:Matt Bigler (November 6, 2014).
783:"Board of Directors Gary Kremen"
438:. August 1, 1999. Archived from
224:He ran for the political job of
183:University of California, Merced
50:Born in Chicago and raised in a
34:, and was a board member of the
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1101:Jon Swartz (February 7, 2000).
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1005:Eli Wolfe (February 28, 2022).
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845:Eli Wolfe (February 26, 2022).
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317:From Sex.com to Clean and Green
187:Saline Preservation Association
1232:Gary Kremen's personal website
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26:, was the first registrant of
1:
1252:American computer programmers
1213:NY:Simon& Schuster, 2019
633:Anthony Ha (March 22, 2012).
271:
45:
1055:Eli Wolfe (March 22, 2022).
1030:Eli Wolfe (March 15, 2022).
753:(Press release). 2014-02-24.
453:United States Patent 5706434
243:Kremen first registered the
7:
1140:www.issuesininternetlaw.com
1080:Eli Wolfe (June 22, 2022).
520:Rivlin, Gary (2007-08-05).
10:
1303:
931:Paul Rogers (2022-07-15).
731:Jihn Pletz (May 7, 2013).
530:. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
398:"The Prisoner of Sex.com."
236:
209:Kremen was elected to the
174:. On February 24, 2014,
133:Clean Power Finance, Inc.
737:Crain's Chicago Business
157:Claremont Creek Ventures
85:In 1993, Kremen founded
58:, Kremen graduated from
620:The Wall Street Journal
385:San Francisco Chronicle
64:Northwestern University
1169:Sex.com Sold for $ 12M
1154:Sex.com thief arrested
961:Transparent California
60:Niles West High School
1103:"Eminent domain name"
937:San Jose Mercury News
699:San Jose Mercury News
56:Lincolnwood, Illinois
139:, $ 75 million from
54:household in nearby
987:. February 28, 2022
720:on October 2, 2013.
671:"CapGain Solutions"
172:Cross Coin Ventures
91:Cendant Corporation
72:Stanford University
32:Clean Power Finance
1211:The Players Ball.
1204:Additional reading
1152:McCarthy, Kieren.
1061:San Jose Spotlight
1036:San Jose Spotlight
1011:San Jose Spotlight
851:San Jose Spotlight
659:. August 29, 2013.
601:The New York Times
527:The New York Times
344:SignOnSanDiego.com
338:2006-08-12 at the
331:Showley, Roger M.
233:Sex.com legal case
226:Santa Clara County
206:in January 2014.
1136:"Kremen v. Cohen"
769:news.ucmerced.edu
595:(April 8, 2013).
293:www.sexdotcom.com
287:Kieren McCarthy.
264:Los Angeles Times
258:Network Solutions
153:Greylock Partners
117:dynamic web pages
1294:
1237:The Players Ball
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295:. Archived from
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254:Stephen M. Cohen
193:Political career
149:Trinity Ventures
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137:Kleiner Perkins
112:for $ 500,000.
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78:Business career
66:in 1985 and an
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913:. 2018-12-05
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892:. 2017-08-10
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787:the original
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297:the original
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181:Kremen is a
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110:Computer.com
107:
99:
95:Ticketmaster
84:
81:
49:
19:
18:
1262:1963 births
673:. AngelList
579:VentureBeat
466:"Mike Ford"
245:domain name
204:John Chiang
168:CrowdFlower
20:Gary Kremen
1246:Categories
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