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Silicon Valley 'sex assault list' featuring 'more than 100 names' warns female tech workers of predators to avoid
A secretive "sex assault list" circulating among women in Silicon Valley reportedly features names of over a hundred alleged predators.
The closely guarded document serves as a private warning system, according to multiple insiders who spoke to The New York Post, and reportedly includes allegations ranging from drugging to sexual assault.
"Some of them were very prominent names, you know? People who were famous investors. Businessmen who were in the scene, I had seen them at parties before," one unidentified up-and-coming tech worker told the publication.
Silicon Valley's 'whisper network' and 'hacker houses'
One woman, who is in her 20s, said she only found out about the document after discussing her own traumatic experience with other people.
"I met some women who ran the 'whisper network,' it has hundreds of cases," she said. "I only found out about it because I started asking around."
Per sources, the women working in Silicon Valley feel unable to turn to the authorities after alleged incidents involving high-ranking members of the tech elite because they fear retaliation could derail their careers.
"I was worried that if I tried for justice in my case and I lost, I would be blacklisted from every investor in town," she said.
Four sources opened up about harrowing incidents tied to so-called "hacker houses" - which are shared living spaces where people may split kitchens and social lives while also investing together, working together professionally, or making introductions to potential employers.
Those overlapping personal and professional ties can make boundaries especially hard when things go wrong.
One person described what they believe was a predatory tactic used by some men, in which they used friendship to earn someone's trust, spot their vulnerabilities, and eventually push past boundaries.
They said the predators intentionally target people they think they can manipulate, such as younger women, people who are isolated, or those who have recently arrived in the country or Silicon Valley, hoping to build their careers.
They also added that they pursue successful, independent people whom an abuser would regard as a "trophy".
"Some predators want the shiniest star, the harder you are to take down, the more powerful they feel. It’s a conquest," they said.
In addition to this, the insider said that Silicon Valley's celebration of founders who refuse to take no for an answer in business can become dangerous when that same attitude extends to social interactions.
They alleged that neither those allegedly causing harm nor those being harmed are necessarily of one gender.
Founder opens up about traumatic assault
Yehong Zhu, who has lived in several hacker houses, said she was a victim of rape and accused someone she considered a friend.
"I kept saying no [to him]," she told The New York Post.
The woman, who is the founder of the app Zette, filed a police report in December 2021, accusing the person, a former member of San Francisco "hacker house" Genesis, of rape and assault.
She said the man ran away and has not been located or arrested, despite other members of their friendship circle remaining in contact with him.
Zhu said that after the alleged incident, a female friend told her about the damage the allegation could do to the man's reputation. She also added that a house organizer discouraged her from speaking to the police and suggested forming a committee and holding a vote when Zhu wanted the man removed.
The founder eventually decided to go to the police and retain lawyers. She has also reached out to people who know the alleged attacker, hoping they could help locate him, but said many did not respond to her.
"We invested together. We did business together," she said of those who refused to help her.
Michael Burshteyn, a lawyer for Genesis founder Jeremy Nixon, said his client was unaware of the situation described to him, adding: "But he would support and encourage law enforcement and just complying with the law in any situation like that and prioritize safety."
Zhu said she went public with the allegations in the hopes of helping other women come forward, but does not want the experience to define her.
"I don’t want this issue to be the only thing attached to my name," she said. "I have so many dreams to build."
Separate Muse allegation
A separate written account from San Francisco’s "community house" Muse spoke about an alleged incident in January 2025.
The anonymous writer said a community-vouched man offered her ketamine while she was living there on a trial basis.
She alleged she had said while sober that she did not want sex, but claimed the man had sex with her after she became heavily impaired.
The woman wrote that someone running the house downplayed what happened and suggested mediation that could have let the alleged attacker return.
She refused and claimed she was later told to leave, while the man was allowed to attend a house celebration before her departure.
A former resident of Beverly Hills-based Launch House described a different response after she suspected she had been drugged during a gathering.
"I had the chills, and I was sweating at the same time, almost like I had the flu. And I was outside on the patio in the sun, I could not move," she said.
She said other women accused the same man of inappropriate touching and unwanted advances before approaching the founders together.
"They got rid of him immediately, he was kicked out of the house," the woman said.
The founders changed the locks and offered to help contact the police. She decided against reporting the incident because she could not remember what happened or establish it through witnesses.
"I did stay on and felt safe in the house," she added.
Co-founder Brett Goldstein revealed that Launch House is no longer operating in the same form: "We developed Launch House’s conduct policies and incident-response procedures with input from a relevant HR executive, a DEI & Safety consulting firm … anyone running an in-person experience has a responsibility to continuously improve the safety of their operation."