David Samson

effectively a version of podcast court, is very interesting to me.

And this letter, David, given Ballmer's description in his letter, the victim's letter, I suppose let's ask an operative question that is directly something that we talk about all the time, which is, do you think Joe Sandberg, the co-founder of Aspiration, snitched on Steve Ballmer to the NBA?

You as the DOJ prosecutor.

It's notable, like Wachtell, David Andrews is saying, information consistent with our review of contemporaneous documents and evidence, perhaps noting that whatever Sandberg said to them, they have information elsewhere that they are corroborating.

this information with?

Well, listen, it's not so dissimilar from what I try to do as a journalist.

As a podcast.

Well, as a former talking head.

As a former talking head.

I should also clarify that Joe Sandberg, if you're wondering, has never been one of my sources, and I've never relied on information directly from Joe Sandberg for any of the reporting that I've done.

Not that we haven't reached out to him, because we reached out to Joe Sandberg's lawyer, Mark Bucasey, and he declined to comment.

The next thing, though, of interest that Ballmer's attorneys observe elsewhere in their statement, David, is also worth reading.

And so I just want to handle this a bit quickly here because I can't believe they wrote that.

Look.

I love how deep in the weeds on the NBA story the victim impact letter is, because it reminds me that as much as Ballmer says he barely spoke to Sandberg before striking a founding partnership and jersey patch deal with the Clippers in September of 2021,

That also, that same month, September 2021, according to emails we've obtained, he very quickly closed the deal to invest $50 million of his personal money, and then also gave another $10 million of his personal money in March of 23, even though Ballmer was informed via written disclosures in his purchase agreement that Aspiration was in default and being probed by FINRA and the SEC, and had its independent auditor recently resign, none of which the letter unfortunately mentions.

The thing that keeps coming up, though, among Aspiration employees who tell me they find it ridiculous that Ballmer would be horrified that, quote, Sandberg used Mr. Ballmer's investments to attract additional similar investors, end quote, is that what Ballmer got was a $300 million founding sponsorship paid by Aspiration to the Clippers as well as

as you may have heard, as a secret, never-announced deal with Kawhi Leonard, who was demanding such a deal.

But as for when Ballmer first met the Clippers and Joe Sandberg, David, Ballmer's letter continues to spell out his version of events.

So Ballmer didn't know Sandberg at all, according to this story, this letter, until late 2021.