Winklevoss twins go nuts over Mark Zuckerberg (video)
Twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are by no means done going after their former Harvard classmate, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Wonderful Pistachios just released a television ad featuring the duo, which includes a not-so-subtle jab at their archenemy.
In the ad, which I've embedded above, they joke about how someone might steal their unique idea about the best way to crack a pistachio nut. Although the two, dressed in matching suits and ties in front of name boards which both read "Mr. Winklevoss", don't mention Zuckerberg by name, the jab is obviously at him.
One of twins cracks open the shell of a pistachio nut, and the other remarks: "Hey, that's a good idea." The other one asks "What?" and is brother immediately responds: "Cracking it like that. Could be huge!" The other twin asks: "Think someone will steal it?" Then both men look at the camera and in unison say: "Who'd do that?"
Wonderful Pistachios is known for its pop culture references in their ads. This latest spot is part of the newest slew of ads under the Get Crackin' campaign. Past commercials from the California-based nut company have featured Snooki of MTV's The Jersey Shore, the YouTube celebrity Keyboard Cat, and the immensely popular Angry Birds.
This whole thing began when the Winklevoss twins and their business partner Divya Narendra started a company called ConnectU while at Harvard. They say Zuckerberg stole their idea and created Facebook, an allegation the company vehemently denies.
The trio originally agreed to a settlement in 2008, but ever since it has been trying to argue that, based on an internal valuation that Facebook did not reveal, it should have received more Facebook shares as part of the deal. In other words, the group wants more than $65 million.
Five months ago, a court ruled that they must accept a $65 million cash and stock settlement with Facebook. They declared that they would fight the ruling.
Three months ago, they changed their minds and said they would not be going to the US Supreme Court. It looked like Facebook's longest legal saga (it has lasted seven years so far) was finally closed.
A week later though, the Winklevoss brothers and Narendra were back with plans to ask the judge to investigate whether Facebook "intentionally or inadvertently suppressed evidence." The new claim is based on a different legal argument, but it essentially means that their war with Zuckerberg is not over.
Last year, instant messages from Zuckerberg emerged online and in media reports that purport to shed new light on the relationship between the Facebook co-founder and the Winklevoss twins at the time when Zuckerberg founded Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004. They were uncovered by Facebook's legal team when it searched Zuckerberg's computer. The trio claims Facebook and its lawyers hid instant messages from them during litigation, arguing that the company should have disclosed those communications when the original settlement was put together.
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