In case you can’t think of anything that these two individuals could have in common, this article should be able to help.
Charles Hoskinson, is Co-Founder and CEO of IO Global (aka “IOG”, formerly known as “IOHK”), the company responsible for Cardano ($ADA) research and development. He is also one of the original co-founders of Ethereum Foundation.
As for celebrity Paris Hilton, according to her bio, “since starring in “The Simple Life,” Hilton has built a global empire as a businesswoman, influencer, activist, DJ, designer, investor, recording artist, philanthropist, host, actress, chef, model and author.” Here is what her bio says about her involvement with NFTs:
“Hilton has also solidified herself as an NFT leader as was recently seen by her being named #7 on Forbes’ NFT 50 most influential people in NFTs and through being awarded ‘Winner of Best Charity NFT’ at the 2020 NFT Awards. In staying true to her goal of fostering empowerment and in collaboration with Sevens Foundation, Paris curated and launched ‘Empowered By Paris: Empowered Women Empower Women Exhibition’, which is an NFT exhibit dedicated to showcasing and equipping female artists with a platform to succeed.“
According to a report (published on January 26) by CNBC’s “Make It”, the 40-year-old hotel heiress, who has been involved with the crypto space for six years, told them that she is bullish on cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse:
“I just really believe in them.“
According to the CNBC report, Hilton “told The Guardian in November that she first started investing in crypto after becoming ‘friends’ with the founders of ethereum, the decentralized computing platform that produces ether, the currency in which a majority of NFTs are traded.”
She also told CNBC that despite the recent sell-off in the crypto market, she remains bullish in crypto:
“I see digital currencies definitely rising [again]… Right now, what I did, which is what people say, is buy the dip.“
So, by now, it should be clear that Hoskinson and Hilton have at least shared interest: crypto.
However, now, thanks to a report published by Bloomberg on Wednesday (March 9), it appears that is not all they have in common.
This report was about Texas-based biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, which has the following goals:
“At Colossal Biosciences, we endeavor to jumpstart nature’s ancestral heartbeat. To see the Woolly Mammoth thunder upon the tundra once again. To advance the economies of biology and nutrition. To make humanity more human. And to reawaken the lost wilds of Earth. So we, and our planet, can breathe easier. These things, which were not achievable before, are now. In our laboratories. Through our breakthroughs in CRISPR and genetic engineering.“
According to the Bloomberg report, the Dallas-based firm, which was launched last September by Harvard University geneticist George Church and technology entrepreneur Ben Lamm, is “trying to use ancient genetic material to create modern-day versions of woolly mammoths” and it has “raised $75 million from venture capitalists, the billionaire producer of “Jurassic World” and Paris Hilton.”
The report went on to say that “the Colossal-created animals would combine genetic material from modern-day Asian elephants with that of mammoth DNA frozen into ice and preserved for thousands of years.”
It also talked about the firm’s “eclectic mix” of backers:
“Peter Thiel gave Church $100,000 in 2015, years before he and Lamm founded Colossal. For Colossal’s seed round of funding last year, investors included established venture capital firms Breyer Capital and Draper Associates, along with Winklevoss Capital and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. The recent round of funding announced Wednesday was led by green venture firm At One Ventures and billionaire Thomas Tull, the founder and chief executive of Tulco LLC. Tull is also the founder and former chief executive of Legendary Entertainment. Paris Hilton, the hotel heiress who’s recently become ‘obsessed’ with non-fungible tokens, was another named investor.“
Well, shortly after Bloomberg report was published, we found that from Hoskinson that Colossal has one more backer that was not named in that report:
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author, or any people mentioned in this article, are for informational purposes only, and they do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice. Investing in or trading cryptoassets comes with a risk of financial loss.
