Billionaire ordered to unlock Martin's Beach but won't be fined $20M

[michaelangerman]

I guess I just don't understand why Vinod would risk his reputation and his historical legacy on this issue. It seems to me that he and everyone else on the planet would want to go down in history as a "good guy". Especially because he has the opportunity with so much money to just do the right thing. The concept that is most sad to me is how an individual can not see past their own nose, and not think about all of the other people, in this case surfers who would get so much enjoyment out of this access. The cool thing about life is we continue to learn from others mistakes. Clearly, we can all learn that in life the most important thing to do is always think about others and not about yourself first.

[pzxc]

With all due respect, I don't think that is "clear" at all. If you don't think about yourself first, you won't be able to help anyone else.

[torbit]

Reminds me of the app the show hidden public gates to access Malibu beaches http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/13/us/in-battle-over-malibu-b...

android version https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.escapeapps...

[etep]

I never knew about this place, but now I'm certain I will be getting in the water there soon.

[ar7hur]

Yeah that's the funniest thing of the story. Before VK tried to block the beach access only a few surfers came every week, and few people knew about the beach. Now everybody knows and will flock to it!

[hi]

This begs the question: Would you take an investment from Vinod Khosla?

[coleslawfail]

This is the time I need to pop up every so often. Vinod has a very negative reputation in the Valley. He used to be known as the biggest anti-founder VC when he was at Kleiner. He'd come in, use sharp elbows to push founders around and out, then companies would crumble. He's learned but not enough.

His new marketing of himself has helped (as has Rabois), but you can't change who he is. When given a chance, he'll take advantage of early stage startups. That's why you don't see many companies he's made. And he's been at it a long time - 27 years! He gets in the way because it's all about him and his huge, insatiable ego. He's much more old school VC in that way - but in the Tom Perkins vein, not Don Valentine. It's his way because it's his money.

The only way to keep Vinod honest is to get other investors. If he's your lead, the knife isn't far from your back.

[selmnoo]

Question for you: who do you think has the luxury to be able to choose who to take money from? In my view, not many people. We're all scrambling to put food on the plates of our children (if not our own). It's extremely difficult to be picky and choosy about where we take money from... because it's what we need to survive.

[icpmacdo]

Yes, a local beach access dispute would not way into the decision for funding from him.

[dubcanada]

You say that as if all venture capitalists are saints. And only Vinod is evil.

[hnriot]

I have a house not far from this debacle and I can see both sides of it, but what don't understand is that there's a million miles of coastline, well, miles and miles and miles of it, all equally good as Marin's beach. I'm sure it's the principle of thing, but one little stretch really inconveniences nobody and the vast majority of the coast from HMB to SC is completely open, undeveloped and fully accessible. If we really want to protect everyone's writes and access we should be pushing for wheelchair access and braille signage too.

[privong]

This is a dupe of [0] from yesterday, with ~100 comments.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8365061

[dang]

Thanks.

[mbostleman]

Whose liable for personal injury on the beach I wonder?

[fooaway]

Yourself.

[executive]

a sad day.. won't someone think of the executives?