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Friedberg: Venture debt is the worst vulture-like business in Silicon Valley

David Friedberg · SpaceX-Cursor Deal, SaaS Debt Bomb, New Apple CEO, SPLC Indictment, Colon Cancer Spike · Apr 24, 2026 · at 37:51

David Friedberg, CEO of The Production Board, gives his perspective on startup financing during a discussion about venture debt.

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“I've never seen venture debt work well to improve the quality of a business. Never. Never. It doesn't work. Only, only, only ever seen venture debt... That damaged companies And if you get the venture debt, you can never actually use it. So the venture debt investors that ultimately make money, it's because they put money in a company, and the company never actually used the money they gave them. I hate this business. I think venture debt's like the worst vulture-like business in Silicon Valley.”

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