Former Harvard president Larry Summers calls the Winklevoss twins 'a**holes'‎

By John Stevens for the Daily Mail
Updated: 15:31 EST, 20 July 2011

Larry Summers has said that the Winklevoss twins, who famously marched into his office and complained that Mark Zuckerberg had stolen their idea for Facebook when he was Harvard president, are 'a**holes'.

In the film The Social Network, Mr Summers sharply dismisses the brothers when they walk in demanding to speak to him wearing matching suits and ties.

And speaking last night, the real Mr Summers was equally as scathing about the Olympic rowing twins.

Scroll down for video

'A**holes': Larry Summers told the Fortune conference that he has rarely encountered people with the same swagger as the Winklevoss twins

'A**holes': Larry Summers told the Fortune conference that he has rarely encountered people with the same swagger as the Winklevoss twins

'One of the things you learn as a college president is that if an undergraduate is wearing a tie and jacket on Thursday afternoon at three o'clock, there are two possibilities,' he said.

'One is that they're looking for a job and have an interview. The other is that they are an a**hole.

'This was the latter case. Rarely, have I encountered such swagger, and I tried to respond in kind,' he said speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colorado.

Asked if the depiction of the scene in the film was accurate, the former economic to Obama said: 'I've heard it said that I can be arrogant. If that's true, I surely was on that occasion.'

In the film, as Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss enter his office, Mr Summer's character sarcastically says: 'From the looks of it they want to sell me a Brooks Brothers franchise.'

Persistent: Cameron Winklevoss, right, and his brother Tyler are still taking legal action against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

Persistent: Cameron Winklevoss, right, and his brother Tyler are still taking legal action against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

Fiction: Larry Summers, played here by Douglas Urbanski, in the film The Social Network

Fiction: Larry Summers, played here by Douglas Urbanski, in the film The Social Network

He then dismisses the pair, saying: 'Since you're on the subject of right and wrong, this action, this meeting, the two of you being here is wrong.

'It's not worthy of Harvard, it's not what Harvard saw in you.'

The twins last month announced that they are pushing ahead with another suit against Facebook, a day after they decided not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a ruling upholding their $65 million settlement with Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The original settlement was intended to resolve a feud over whether Zuckerberg stole the idea for what became the world's most popular social networking website from the Winklevosses.

After agreeing to the cash-and-stock deal, the Winklevosses sought to undo it, saying it was fraudulent because Facebook hid information from them, and that they deserved more money.

Watch the video


Comments (10)

Share what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now