Silicon Valley’s Secret ‘Perv List’ Is an ‘Epstein-Like Network’: Insider Warns of ‘Tip of Iceberg’

Eleven more women have reportedly come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct in Silicon Valley after a private spreadsheet naming more than 100 alleged perpetrators was exposed, raising fresh questions about the underground networks women say they use to warn each other.

The spreadsheet reportedly contains allegations ranging from drugging and sexual assault to rape. It involves prominent investors, businessmen and people connected to the technology and artificial intelligence industries, according to the New York Post. The document itself has not been made public, and the individual allegations have not been independently verified.

The latest women who contacted the New York Post reportedly wanted to share their experiences and, in some cases, have their accounts added to the wider collection of allegations. The development has put renewed attention on Silicon Valley's so-called 'whisper network,' which is an informal system in which women privately exchange warnings about men they believe may pose a safety risk.

One Silicon Valley insider described the situation to the New York Post as an 'Epstein-like network,' alleging that some influential men act as 'power brokers' and protect one another. The insider also warned that what has emerged so far could be only the 'tip of the iceberg.'

'I do really see this as an Epstein-like network, where there's a lot of abusers who basically work with each other ... But we're actually just at this point looking at the tip of the iceberg,' the insider said.

Why Does Silicon Valley Have a Secret 'Perv List'?

Some women told the New York Post they fear formal complaints could damage their careers because Silicon Valley's professional networks are closely connected.

Investors, founders, employers and business contacts can overlap, making it difficult for someone reporting alleged misconduct to separate the complaint from their professional life. One woman said she feared that pursuing her case and losing could result in her being blacklisted by investors.

The private list therefore reportedly serves as an informal warning system, allowing women to exchange information before entering professional or social situations involving men whose names have appeared in allegations.

Eleven More Women Come Forward

The latest disclosures followed the New York Post's initial report about the spreadsheet. Eleven additional women reportedly contacted the newspaper with allegations involving sexual assault, retaliation and professional consequences.

One woman alleged that a man she accused hacked her phone and used confidential information and business strategy against her.

Another, a former private banker, told the New York Post that she reported an alleged sexual assault by a colleague at a bank in Singapore. She said she was subsequently fired and that the case was closed without her having an opportunity to submit new evidence. She later moved to the Middle East and said she has struggled to find work.

Silicon Valley's 'Hacker Houses' Draw Scrutiny

Some of the allegations have also drawn attention to Silicon Valley's so-called hacker houses - communal residences where founders, engineers and other technology workers live, socialise and build businesses. The New York Post reported allegations involving several such communities.

Yehong Zhu, founder of Zette, previously told the newspaper that she reported an alleged rape and assault involving a former resident of Genesis in December 2021. She said she was discouraged from contacting police and later approached people who knew the man she accused in an attempt to locate him.

A former Launch House resident described a different response after she suspected she had been drugged at a gathering. She said other women reported unwanted advances involving the same man and that the group approached the founders.

According to her account, the man was removed from the house. Launch House co-founder Brett Goldstein told the New York Post that the organisation later developed conduct policies and incident-response procedures with outside HR and safety experts.

Why Women Say They Rely on Private Warning Systems

The controversy has exposed a wider problem: women may want to report alleged misconduct while fearing professional retaliation from people with money, influence or connections.

Tracy DeTomasi, CEO of the now-closed nonprofit Callisto, told the New York Post that women need safer ways to share information about potential perpetrators and find support.

'Women are trying to find a way to protect themselves. Who's trying to stop the men?' she told the New York Post. 'Because we can only protect ourselves so much. We need a solution that really changes companies' approaches to getting rid of toxic, abusive offenders. And that's not happening right now. It's not happening in tech, it's not happening in universities, it's not happening in government, it's not happening anywhere.'

'You might not be the one that's sexually assaulting somebody, but are you laughing when it happens? Are you doing business deals with this person?' she added.

Callisto launched in 2018 with an anonymous platform that allowed survivors to record the name of an alleged attacker and potentially connect with others who had reported the same person. About 4,000 survivors had opened accounts before the organisation stopped accepting new users in July, according to the New York Post.

The organisation's closure comes as advocates warn of shrinking resources for sexual-violence prevention and survivor support in California. David S. Lee, deputy director of VALOR, a coalition of California rape-crisis centres, told the New York Post that only 16 organisations in the state receive funding specifically for preventing sexual violence.

'We do not see the level of commitment necessary to properly support survivors and address the high rates of violence,' he said.