Robert Lendvai — 'None of these people looked corruptible going in'

Robert Lendvai — early-stage investor and long-time operator — finishes Incorruptible and shares three career-spanning cases of founders whose character failed under pressure: a Nasdaq-listed CEO charged with insider trading days before a bad quarter, a hedge-fund founder who fled the country over back taxes, and a token-project lead who wanted to buy the company's own token with angel money to fake demand. Frames founder character as the whole bet in early-stage investing and lays out the informal signals he now watches for.

“None of these people looked corruptible going in. Credentials, resume, references, even track records Yet none of it predicted what they'd do under pressure. If anything, their confidence and polish made it easier to miss. So I don't think character shows up on paper. It shows up at the moment someone can get away with something and others aren't watching.” — Robert Lendvai on LinkedIn