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Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

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Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#41
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Your point, as I understand it: you disagree with a jury's conclusion in one, high-profile case, therefore the entire justice system isn't necessary or there should be no consequences for white-collar crime. Or perhaps more charitably: you've become disillusioned about the judicial process in general, seeing a lot of results you consider unjust, therefore the entire justice system isn't necessary or there should be n…

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Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#42
Can someone with more legal expertise explain why he is charged with wire fraud and not "accepting a kickback"?

Is it legal to take bribes if you do it in a way that doesn't create wire fraud? Was the crime taking kickbacks or was the crime being paid in a certain way (i.e. the LLC he created)?

Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#43

Every time this story comes up, the comments are filled with people proclaiming that kickbacks like this are totally normal and very common. I can't tell how much of it is random people projecting their cynicism onto the business world, or if it's people who have been part of bribery/kickback schemes themselves trying to normalize the behavior online. Either way, cases like this should make it clear that the behavior…

or not trying to normalize but pointing out that its already normalized to the point that you can’t be an effective employee due to competition with people winning deal flow via kickbacks

The actions in question occurred almost 10 years ago, how many people lost commissions and bonuses and promotions and jobs and relationships by trying to play fair?

acknowledging this isn’t being an apologist for it or condoning it

even the DOJ indictment only acknowledges Netflix shareholders being deprived of tiny tiny amounts of profits, not everyone at all the other companies in the wake over the last decade, which is kind of a slap in the face and like a joke that public servants actually bothered, using that rationale.

so with that reality the incentive is still there to kickback and relax

Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#45

Why is this even illegal? Perks in the industry is normal. People are always trying to get their own businesses front and center for contracts. Some of these companies just don't have much to give out other than equity and what exactly is wrong about that?

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Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#46
One thing that is interesting about this is not that these vendors made the initial suggestion of a kickback. Instead Kail said he would get them in as a vendor if they made him some important person at their company. So the idea of the kickback wasn't from the vendor.

Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#48
post #39

Every time this story comes up, the comments are filled with people proclaiming that kickbacks like this are totally normal and very common. I can't tell how much of it is random people projecting their cynicism onto the business world, or if it's people who have been part of bribery/kickback schemes themselves trying to normalize the behavior online. Either way, cases like this should make it clear that the behavior…

>I can't tell how much of it is random people projecting their cynicism onto the business world Is this on HN? Because I rarely sees it. Most people working in Tech and specifically software development are so abstracted from these type of things they think they are extremely rare. It is still a common thing though. At least it happens much more often than most people thought. And it is not cynicism but personal expe…

Happens in manufacturing allll the time, especially if you're contracting our work to companies in India/China/Vietnam/etc.

Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#49

Every time this story comes up, the comments are filled with people proclaiming that kickbacks like this are totally normal and very common. I can't tell how much of it is random people projecting their cynicism onto the business world, or if it's people who have been part of bribery/kickback schemes themselves trying to normalize the behavior online. Either way, cases like this should make it clear that the behavior…

I’m sure every employee has to read their company’s code of conduct and those are quite unambiguous about what’s allowed and what isn’t and that which isn’t is serious and will get you fired --no company wants to have to mobilize lawyers and waste hundreds of professionally billed hours for an employee violating regulations.

Re: Netflix Executive Sentenced to 30 Months for 700K Bribes, Kickbacks from Vendors

#50

Why is this even illegal? Perks in the industry is normal. People are always trying to get their own businesses front and center for contracts. Some of these companies just don't have much to give out other than equity and what exactly is wrong about that?

For another example, look at how college bribery schemes are illegal.

They're not illegal because they're unfair or immoral, they're illegal because the administrator is selling the spot that the college owns; it's not his/her spot to sell.

If the company wanted to be used by Netflix in exchange for equity, then they could make a deal with Netflix itself. This executive was essentially selling the rights to contracts (akin to spots) that he didn't have the right to sell.

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