Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#1

Post by lbrdn » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 3:40 PM UTC

Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest
intrade.com

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#2

Post by jameskilton » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 3:55 PM UTC

New York Times article as the site is hammered: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/business/27delaney.html

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#3

Post by jedc » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 3:57 PM UTC

This happened about ten days ago. I knew John a little, and put up a post with a couple memories here: http://blog.mercury-rac.com/2011/05/29/in-memory-of-john-del...

And here's one from the Freakonomics blog: http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/05/24/r-i-p-john-delaney-pr...

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#4

Post by joshklein » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 3:58 PM UTC

Can't reach the page, but the submission title made me want to share an on-topic book recommendation - Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer. [1] It's a very sad, but thrilling, account of a catastrophic journey up Everest.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/067...

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#5

Post by mrspeaker » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:01 PM UTC

This article: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1978295 has stuck with me since it was posted a while ago.

I guess everyone who goes there knows the dangers, and would be prepared for the worst.

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#6

Post by michaeldhopkins » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:05 PM UTC

Rest in peace.

Ironically, the odds on an InTrade bet might have warned him that he was not expected to survive. The crowdsourced research about conditions and the likely physical ability of Mr. Delaney would have exceeded his own and might have led him to delay or reconsider the trip.

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#7

Post by bmj » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:11 PM UTC

joshklein wrote: post #4

Can't reach the page, but the submission title made me want to share an on-topic book recommendation - Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer. [1] It's a very sad, but thrilling, account of a catastrophic journey up Everest. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/067...

There is also a counterpoint book, by Anatoli Bourkreev, called The Climb[1].

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Climb-Tragic-Ambitions-Everest/dp/0312...

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#8

Post by golgo13 » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:18 PM UTC

So I am guessing his body will remain on Everest. Another sad addition to the Death Zone.

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#9

Post by pessimist » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:22 PM UTC

Sad. But I have to say - climbing Everest when your wife is due to give birth - not cool.

Overall death rate for Everest climbers is pretty close to 3% - pretty high (although its been falling).

Edit: 3% is for climbers above base camp - for summit climbers its close to 10%! According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Mount_Everest_disaster

Re: Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest

#10

Post by bcl » Wed, Jun 01, 2011, 4:27 PM UTC

golgo13 wrote: post #8

So I am guessing his body will remain on Everest. Another sad addition to the Death Zone.

It is too dangerous to try and recover bodies. At those altitudes your body is doing everything it can to survive and the margin for error is nearly zero.