400 pound ex-coke dealer CEO ousted after media blitz

Sometimes it's better just to keep your head down...

By John Lettice • Get more from this author

Posted in Business, 2nd July 2000 17:58 GMT

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An Internet security startup is now light a 400 pound co-founder, following a rather too public dust-up with Southwest Airlines over seat assignments. Amply-proportioned Tony Mazzamuto of Orange County outfit Cyberbuck Corp complained loudly to local news services after Southwest insisted to he buy two seats in order to accommodate his substantial hinterland, and unfortunately, the name started to ring bells all over Orange County.

The Orange County Register (no relation) tells us that Mazzamuto's old acquaintances instantly pegged him as a guy who'd done three years in prison for possession of 3½ pounds of cocaine for sale, and for carrying a gun when he had a prior felony conviction. There also seems to be some question over his age and education. The University he claims a masters degree from doesn't exist, for starters.

The consequence of Mazzamuto's exposure was, naturally, that Cyberbuck took a sudden close interest in the life and times of its erstwhile CEO. But in a written statement following his resignation, Cyberbuck rather oddly claims he left because of "philosophical differences about the future of the company." It'd be heartless of us to suggest this means he wanted to sell a product with more buzz, and use more powerful hardware. So we won't.

Cyberbuck's Big Idea is to sell consumers prepaid cards for use in online transactions, thus making them immune to Internet fraud. Sounds like a dud to us, but the company has $1 million of seed money and 40 staff, and hopes to launch in the summer, with an IPO next year. ®

See also:
Orange County Register story

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