University of Illinois Lawsuit and Settlement

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The University of Illinois, at the behest of Spyglass, tried to hinder the success of a startup by threatening customers with lawsuits. To counter this, the startup preemptively sued the university for interference of trade, offering $4 million worth of stock. The university demanded cash instead, missing out on potential billion-dollar stock value. Despite the settlement cost, it was estimated that the university lost around $3 billion in 1990s dollars due to the decision. The aftermath left the startup founder resentful towards the university, declining all attempts of reconciliation.

"The Ben & Marc Show," featuring a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.

In this special episode, Marc and Ben dive deep into the REAL story behind the creation of Netscape—a web browser co-created by Marc that revolutionized the internet and changed the world. As Ben notes at the top, until today, this story has never been fully told either in its entirety or accurately.

In this one-on-one conversation, Marc and Ben discuss Marc's early life and how it shaped his journey into technology, the pivotal moments at the University of Illinois that led to the development of Mosaic (a renegade browser that Marc developed as an undergrad), and the fierce competition and legal battles that ensued as Netscape rose to prominence.

Ben and Marc also reflect on the broader implications of Netscape's success, the importance of an open internet, and the lessons learned that still resonate in today's tech landscape (especially with AI). That and much more. Enjoy!

Watch the FULL Episode on YouTune: https://youtu.be/8aTjA_bGZO4

Resources:

Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca

Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/

Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz

Book mentioned on this episode:

- “Expert Political Judgment” by Philip E. Tetlock https://bit.ly/45KzP6M

TV Series mentioned on this episode:

- “The Mandalorian” (Disney+) https://bit.ly/3W0Zyoq

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