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Ravi DesaiExecutive of various companies and Harvard graduate
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Ravi Desai: A Controversial Business Executive
- TheStreet.com Saga
- Slate Contributions and Jennifer Cole Hoax
- University Donations and Poetry Foundation
- Bigamy and Formulasys
- Robert Klingler Hoax
Ravi Desai: A Controversial Business Executive
Early CareerRavi Desai, a Harvard graduate and executive in various companies, became notorious for his erratic behavior at various organizations, most notably at TheStreet.com in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Among his misconduct were fabricating a sob story about his first wife, committing bigamy, and posing as someone else to write in Slate magazine.
TheStreet.com Saga
Desai rose through the ranks at TheStreet.com, a financial news and services website, from Editor-in-Chief to CEO in 1996. However, he was fired by the site's co-founder, Jim Cramer, within just four months. The reasons cited for his termination included drinking on the job, falsifying business agreements, and even blackmail.
Slate Contributions and Jennifer Cole Hoax
In November 1997, Desai wrote a series of journal entries for Slate magazine, including one in the "Different Voices" section. Around this time, he also applied for a strategic analyst position at Quantum Corp. In February 1999, he joined Scient, an internet consulting firm, in its San Francisco office.
While at Scient, Desai told the story of his pregnant and cancer-stricken wife, Jennifer Cole, who eventually passed away. However, Cole was neither pregnant nor had she been diagnosed with cancer. In August 1999, the couple filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
University Donations and Poetry Foundation
In 2000, Desai pledged $2 million to the University of Washington and another $2 million to the University of Florida. Additionally, he gave $1 million to establish a poetry program at the University of New Hampshire. None of the universities had any prior connection with Desai or had received pledges exceeding a few thousand dollars.
Several poets, including former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, joined the advisory board of a national poetry foundation founded by Desai. However, all the advisors soon resigned, expressing their discomfort with Desai's erratic behavior. He later attributed his eccentricities to a rare degenerative neurological condition.
Bigamy and Formulasys
Desai married for the second time in 2000 to Kristen Klingler. However, his divorce from his first wife had not yet been finalized, making him technically a bigamist. In January 2001, he was hired as CEO of a private consulting firm, Formulasys. He was asked to leave within five days, with the company claiming that Desai had falsified contracts with major corporations such as Vodafone.
Robert Klingler Hoax
In March 2002, Slate magazine began publishing journal entries supposedly written by Robert Klingler, who identified himself as the CEO of BMW's North American division. Readers alerted the magazine that Google and the NEXIS database revealed no evidence of a Robert Klingler in the automotive industry. Slate staff determined that no one named Robert Klingler worked for BMW, and further inquiries led them to conclude that Desai was the real author of the entries.
