Netscape founder takes on Bush in research funding row

No go for my dough says myCFO head honcho...

Eccentric Netscape founder Jim Clark has withheld a $60m donation to a biotech research centre in Stanford in protest at George W Bush's stem cell research policies. Stem cells are essential for a variety of biotech research projects, but their use is controversial because human embryos are destroyed to obtain them. US Congress has voted to ban the cloning of human embryos, and Bush has announced a ban on Federal funding for stem cell research. Clark, whose founding roles at Netscape, Silicon Graphics and Healtheon made him the first man ever to launch three billion-dollar businesses, is one of the highest profile figures to enter the stem cell debate. His reputation as a visionary has been tarnished somewhat by the lacklustre performances of those businesses in the years after he left them. His current venture myCFO.com, provides financial services to high net worth individuals. Clark defended his position in the New York Times by saying: "Congress and the President are thwarting part of the intended purpose of this centre by supporting restrictions on stem cell research and cloning. "While only a portion of Stanford's plans involve stem cells, I believe research that uses them is vital to the future of medicine. I am therefore suspending $60m of my remaining pledge pending the outcome of ongoing political deliberations."