Two top Oculus executives are now supporting company cofounder Palmer Luckey, who recently drew heavy criticism over his investments in a pro-Trump, anti-Clinton political group.
Luckey recently went under fire when news came out that he financially supported Nimble America, the company behind an anti-Clinton internet meme campaign. The Oculus cofounder made a $10,000 donation to Nimble America, which aimed to tip the scales in Trump's favor in the upcoming presidential election in the United States.
Luckey's involvement in the pro-Trump campaign not only drew criticism but also prompted some developers to withdraw support for Oculus from their current or upcoming VR products.
Amid heavy controversy, Luckey admitted that he did fund the anti-Clinton political group but said he's not a Trump supporter. The Oculus boycott, however, made it clear that Luckey's actions took a toll on the entire company, not just his reputation.
"I am deeply sorry that my actions are negatively impacting the perception of Oculus and its partners. The recent news stories about me do not accurately represent my views," Luckey stated in a Facebook post.
Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe also took to Facebook to express his support and noted that everyone is entitled to their own views. Iribe points out that Luckey deeply regrets how this issue affected Oculus and its partners, as well as the industry, but at the same time he distances Oculus from the matter.
"Everyone at Oculus is free to support the issues or causes that matter to them, whether or not we agree with those views," says Iribe. "It is important to remember that Palmer acted independently in a personal capacity, and was in no way representing the company."
Jason Rubin, Oculus head of content, weighed in with his own Facebook post regarding the matter. Rubin said that before responding to this whole controversy, he wanted to hear Luckey's side of the story, and after reading his post, he trusts him.
"Those of you who have known me before I joined Oculus know that I would not work in a place that I thought condoned, or spread hate. Nor would I remain silent if I saw it raise its head," adds Rubin.
Luckey, meanwhile, further explained that he's a libertarian, and he supported Nimble America because he believed the start-up had a fresh approach on how to reach younger voters by using billboards. Luckey also points out that he is neither a founder nor an employee of Nimble America, he was not behind the "NimbleRichMan" posts and he doesn't plan to make any additional donations beyond the $10,000 he already contributed. Luckey concludes by highlighting that his actions are his alone and do not represent Oculus in any manner.
Be that as it may, the truth is that Luckey's contribution to Nimble America did affect Oculus and many people's view of the company, casting a dark cloud above it. It remains to be seen how things will unfold, especially since several developers said they will no longer support Oculus as long as Luckey is still a part of it.
