Have you heard of HQ? If you haven’t read 8 bajillion blog posts about it, know that it’s a cultural-phenomenon quiz show that 1.5 million tune in to daily. You might be heartened to know that HQ has, according to a report from Recode, raised a new round of funding that should keep the show going for the foreseeable future. But there’s a catch: The money comes from Trump ally, free-press enemy, and rumored blood harvester Peter Thiel.
HQ will apparently receive an infusion of $15 million from the Founders Fund, the venture firm founded by Thiel. Cyan Banister, a partner at the fund, will join HQ’s board.
HQ’s founders, Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, formerly of Vine, have had some trouble raising funds, despite its popularity. That was due to “alleged bad behavior,” as Recode phrased it. In the current climate around inappropriate workplace conduct, that was enough to scare some potential investors off.
But not our buddy Peter! Thiel has a track record of shrugging this sort of thing off — he donated more than a million dollars to the Trump campaign after the infamous Access Hollywood footage became public knowledge.
If you’re planning to swear off HQ in light of this Thiel-related news, you might also be interested in browsing some of the other tech properties that Founders Fund derives value from: Lyft, Spotify, Airbnb, and last but not least, Facebook. Best of luck with your ethical consumption.
