The Standard Staff 

In the tech capital of the world, the industry and its personalities are perpetually leaving their mark in big, small, outrageous, and eccentric ways.&nbsp;

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<p>In the tech capital of the world, the industry and its personalities are perpetually leaving their mark in big, small, outrageous, and eccentric ways.&nbsp;</p>

Here at The Standard, we closely watch how tech shapes the culture of San Francisco. These are the 10 stories of 2024 that best captured the zeitgeist.&nbsp;

<p>Here at The Standard, we closely watch how tech shapes the culture of San Francisco. These are the 10 stories of 2024 that best captured the zeitgeist.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/23/penis-botox-san-francisco-upsize/">Junk science: Why Bay Area men are using Botox to enlarge their penises</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-junk-science-why-bay-area-men-are-using-botox-to-enlarge-their-penises"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/23/penis-botox-san-francisco-upsize/">Junk science: Why Bay Area men are using Botox to enlarge their penises</a></h2>


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-junk-science-why-bay-area-men-are-using-botox-to-enlarge-their-penises"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/23/penis-botox-san-francisco-upsize/">Junk science: Why Bay Area men are using Botox to enlarge their penises</a></h2>

Balloon art of male genitals injected with Botox, representing the boom in men who are receiving penile enhancement procedures


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/sfstandard_penile-1.jpg?w=2048" alt="Balloon art of male genitals injected with Botox" class="wp-image-261858"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There was a boom in penile enhancement procedures this year. </figcaption></figure>


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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/sfstandard_penile-1.jpg?w=2048" alt="Balloon art of male genitals injected with Botox" class="wp-image-261858"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There was a boom in penile enhancement procedures this year. </figcaption></figure>

Botox isn’t just for crow’s feet and frown lines anymore: Dudes are payng up to $10,800 to inject their dongs as a way to increase girth. The method is part of the biohacker revolution led by longevity guru Bryan Johnson, who attests that the procedure can lengthen erections, as well as genitalia.&nbsp;

<p>Botox isn’t just for crow’s feet and frown lines anymore: Dudes are payng up to $10,800 to inject their dongs as a way to increase girth. The method is part of the biohacker revolution led by longevity guru Bryan Johnson, who attests that the procedure can lengthen erections, as well as genitalia.&nbsp;</p>

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<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/29/jony-ive-buys-up-jackson-square-properties/">Making the Ive Hive: Jony Ive’s bold plans to reshape a small slice of San Francisco</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-the-ive-hive-jony-ive-s-bold-plans-to-reshape-a-small-slice-of-san-francisco"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/29/jony-ive-buys-up-jackson-square-properties/">Making the Ive Hive: Jony Ive’s bold plans to reshape a small slice of San Francisco</a></h2>


Entities tied to Jony Ive have spent the last four years buying up real estate, accumulating the better part of a block now in the neighborhood bordered by Columbus and Pacific avenues and Jackson and Montgomery streets.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240411-jonyivejacksonsquare_feature_illo.jpg?w=2048" alt="A man in a suit stands before a stylized, collage-like backdrop with architectural plans and city buildings." class="wp-image-271193"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Entities tied to Jony Ive have spent the last four years buying up real estate in Jackson Square.</figcaption></figure>


Former Apple exec Jony Ive has been snapping up properties in Jackson Square, spending tens of millions to build a mini-empire that spans nearly an entire block. While his plans remain under wraps (although there are rumors it could be the homebase of the iPhone killer being designed by his team), locals are embracing optimism instead of suspicion and feeling grateful for the boosted property values.&nbsp;

<p>Former Apple exec Jony Ive has been snapping up properties in Jackson Square, spending tens of millions to build a mini-empire that spans nearly an entire block. While his plans remain under wraps (although there are rumors it could be the homebase of the iPhone killer being designed by his team), locals are embracing optimism instead of suspicion and feeling grateful for the boosted property values.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/17/fashion-zuckerberg-style-techie-hoodie-allbirds/">Tech CEOs are hot now, so workers are hiring $500-an-hour fashion consultants</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tech-ceos-are-hot-now-so-workers-are-hiring-500-an-hour-fashion-consultants"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/17/fashion-zuckerberg-style-techie-hoodie-allbirds/">Tech CEOs are hot now, so workers are hiring $500-an-hour fashion consultants</a></h2>


Kimberly Gant, Chief Stylist at Canvas Styling, explains what she likes and doesn't like about a shirt her client Aaron Kau tries on during a shopping trip at Bloomingdale's department store on Market Street in San Francisco on Friday, June 14, 2024. When it comes to fashion in San Francisco, there's long been nothing to see. That's slowly improving, thanks to a small army of stylists aiming to help the tee and hoodie set at least find versions that fit.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/20240605-techsglowup_eg_02-lowres.jpg?w=2048" alt="Two people are in a room with a clothing rack full of various garments. They are engaged in conversation, with one gesturing towards the clothes and the other smiling." class="wp-image-283929"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kimberly Gant, chief stylist at Canvas Styling.</figcaption></figure>


Silicon Valley has been getting a glow-up, with CEOs like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang looking (remarkably) cool. Executives and engineers alike are hiring stylists to help them ditch their startup-branded tees and Allbirds sneakers for something a bit more sophisticated. As one VC-turned-fashion-consultant put it, “Being handsome is just a skill issue. Anyone can do it.”&nbsp;

<p>Silicon Valley has been getting a glow-up, with CEOs like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang looking (remarkably) cool. Executives and engineers alike are hiring stylists to help them ditch their startup-branded tees and Allbirds sneakers for something a bit more sophisticated. As one VC-turned-fashion-consultant put it, “Being handsome is just a skill issue. Anyone can do it.”&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/22/waymo-parents-kids-in-robotaxis/">Parents’ hush-hush back-to-school hack: Sending their kids off in a Waymo</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parents-hush-hush-back-to-school-hack-sending-their-kids-off-in-a-waymo"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/22/waymo-parents-kids-in-robotaxis/">Parents’ hush-hush back-to-school hack: Sending their kids off in a Waymo</a></h2>


Waymo opens up a 10-square mile block of the Peninsula to self-driving customers this week. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/sfstandard_waymoleaving.jpg?w=2048" alt="The image shows several white autonomous vehicles equipped with sensors on a detailed 3D city map. The cars appear to be navigating different routes." class="wp-image-299061"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Parents are letting kids take Waymos alone.</figcaption></figure>


Busy moms and dads are booking robot chauffeurs for their children, Waymo’s rules against minors riding alone be damned. The time savings and safety features are worth possibly getting an account banned, parents told The Standard.&nbsp;

<p>Busy moms and dads are booking robot chauffeurs for their children, Waymo’s rules against minors riding alone be damned. The time savings and safety features are worth possibly getting an account banned, parents told The Standard.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/30/y-combinator-gen-z-founders-garry-tan/">Y Combinator’s Gen Z founders are coming back and learning to love San Francisco</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-y-combinator-s-gen-z-founders-are-coming-back-and-learning-to-love-san-francisco"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/30/y-combinator-gen-z-founders-garry-tan/">Y Combinator’s Gen Z founders are coming back and learning to love San Francisco</a></h2>


One Chowdhury, cofounder and CEO of Octane AI, stands in his workspace in his SoMa apartment in San Francisco on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Contrary to the doom loop outlook on SF, Y Combinator founders are more optimistic than ever about living and working in the city.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240828-ycombinatorinsf-me-28.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man stands in a modern office with natural light. He is near a desk cluttered with books and a computer. A whiteboard with notes is on the right wall." class="wp-image-306626"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">One Chowdhury, cofounder and CEO of Octolane AI.</figcaption></figure>


As AI momentum reaches a fever pitch, the city is once again a hot spot for young, ambitious techies trying to make it big. Garry Tan, chief executive of startup accelerator Y Combinator, has taken a leading role in spreading the “boom loop” narrative.&nbsp;

<p>As AI momentum reaches a fever pitch, the city is once again a hot spot for young, ambitious techies trying to make it big. Garry Tan, chief executive of startup accelerator Y Combinator, has taken a leading role in spreading the “boom loop” narrative.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/01/sfs-biggest-employer-brings-workers-back-downtown-and-the-neighbors-are-loving-it/">SF’s biggest employer brings workers back downtown, and the neighbors are loving it</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sf-s-biggest-employer-brings-workers-back-downtown-and-the-neighbors-are-loving-it"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/01/sfs-biggest-employer-brings-workers-back-downtown-and-the-neighbors-are-loving-it/">SF’s biggest employer brings workers back downtown, and the neighbors are loving it</a></h2>


Pedestrians pass the exterior and lobby entrance at Salesforce Tower on Mission Street in Downtown San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Tech sector companies in Downtown San Francisco have begun to require staff and employees to return to work in their Downtown San Francisco office after working remote for many years during the Covid pandemic.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DowntownSFRTO092123_027.jpg?w=2500" alt="Sign &quot;Salesforce Tower&quot; above building entrance with people walking by." class="wp-image-204762"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Employees are returning to Salesforce Tower and other downtown corporate headquarters.</figcaption></figure>


While employees might begrudge companies’ stricter policies on returning to the office, baristas and restaurant owners are celebrating the increased cappuccino orders and return of the lunch rush. The renewed influx of downtown workers was “the best-case scenario for us,” one business owner said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>While employees might begrudge companies’ stricter policies on returning to the office, baristas and restaurant owners are celebrating the increased cappuccino orders and return of the lunch rush. The renewed influx of downtown workers was “the best-case scenario for us,” one business owner said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/16/mark-zuckerberg-watch-fashion/">Silicon Valley watch nerds are obsessed with Mark Zuckerberg’s crazy collection</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silicon-valley-watch-nerds-are-obsessed-with-mark-zuckerberg-s-crazy-collection"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/16/mark-zuckerberg-watch-fashion/">Silicon Valley watch nerds are obsessed with Mark Zuckerberg’s crazy collection</a></h2>


Zuck's newfound love of super-expensive and super flashy watches and how his timepiece choices fit in with Silicon Valley watch culture. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-zuckerbergflashywatches_feature_illo.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows a person wearing a Meta shirt with a large head, flexing arms adorned with several watches. The background is a blue abstract design." class="wp-image-322135"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zuck has a newfound love of super-expensive watches.</figcaption></figure>


Zuckerberg’s hypebeast influence doesn’t stop at gold chains: The CEO is driving a frenzy for fancy watches from niche brands. His multimillion-dollar collection has inspired both envy and imitation, with local watch dealers seeing increased sales.&nbsp;

<p>Zuckerberg’s hypebeast influence doesn’t stop at gold chains: The CEO is driving a frenzy for fancy watches from niche brands. His multimillion-dollar collection has inspired both envy and imitation, with local watch dealers seeing increased sales.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/23/salesforce-tower-secret-institute/">High atop Salesforce Tower, a secret club for geniuses from two shadowy VCs</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-atop-salesforce-tower-a-secret-club-for-geniuses-from-two-shadowy-vcs"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/10/23/salesforce-tower-secret-institute/">High atop Salesforce Tower, a secret club for geniuses from two shadowy VCs</a></h2>


There's a super secretive new institute bringing together famous intellectuals from across the world that's on the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower. The founders don't want the public to know about it -- but we do, and we've figure out who's behind it. The story is a tongue and cheek profile of the institute, its members and their mission. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-salesforcetowersecretinstitute_feature-illo-8.png?w=2160" alt="Two men in suits stand confidently with arms crossed on a red carpet, in front of a tall, well-lit building at night, with a city skyline backdrop." class="wp-image-324320"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The founders of a super-secretive club on the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower.</figcaption></figure>


Near the top of San Francisco’s tallest building, a secretive private club called the Institute fashions itself a hub for elites and intellectuals to opine on humanity’s greatest challenges. It’s the literal apex of two venture capitalists’ aim to gain clout in Silicon Valley. And no, you’re not invited.&nbsp;

<p>Near the top of San Francisco’s tallest building, a secretive private club called the Institute fashions itself a hub for elites and intellectuals to opine on humanity’s greatest challenges. It’s the literal apex of two venture capitalists’ aim to gain clout in Silicon Valley. And no, you’re not invited.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/15/private-chefs-silicon-valley/">Private chefs for Silicon Valley’s elite spill the (precisely 70-degree) tea</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-private-chefs-for-silicon-valley-s-elite-spill-the-precisely-70-degree-tea"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/15/private-chefs-silicon-valley/">Private chefs for Silicon Valley’s elite spill the (precisely 70-degree) tea</a></h2>


Chef Robert Hernandez with romesco at Bar Jabroni Thursday November 14, 2024. Chef Hernandez cooks for wealthy Silicon Valley residents like employees for Meta, AT&amp;T and venture capitalists.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241114_siliconvalleyprivatechefs_-0181.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a mustard sweater and apron holds a leafy vegetable in a cozy kitchen with shelves of wine bottles and glasses around him." class="wp-image-333043"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chef Robert Hernandez cooks for wealthy Silicon Valley residents.</figcaption></figure>


Keeping tech royalty happily fed is no easy task. Seven private chefs dished on the picky, ridiculous, or extravagant tastes of their clients, from drinking exactly one sip of each can of Coca-Cola to using fresh fruit as props around the mansion. “Being a great private chef is mind-reading,” one cook quipped.&nbsp;

<p>Keeping tech royalty happily fed is no easy task. Seven private chefs dished on the picky, ridiculous, or extravagant tastes of their clients, from drinking exactly one sip of each can of Coca-Cola to using fresh fruit as props around the mansion. “Being a great private chef is mind-reading,” one cook quipped.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/06/marc-benioff-salesforce-trump-maga/">Based Benioff? Woke-ish Salesforce billionaire takes a right turn</a>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-based-benioff-woke-ish-salesforce-billionaire-takes-a-right-turn"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/12/06/marc-benioff-salesforce-trump-maga/">Based Benioff? Woke-ish Salesforce billionaire takes a right turn</a></h2>


Benioff has joined a cadre of tech billionaires who are pragmatically navigating the changing political winds. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/markbenioff_final_02.jpg?w=2400" alt="A man and red hats flying inside a tornado." class="wp-image-339941"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marc Benioff has joined a cadre of tech billionaires who are pragmatically navigating changing political winds.</figcaption></figure>


From benevolent, progressive billionaire to “un-woke” social conservative? Marc Benioff has taken a shift to the right since Donald Trump’s election, though whether it’s a true change of heart or canny opportunism remains to be seen.&nbsp;

<p>From benevolent, progressive billionaire to “un-woke” social conservative? Marc Benioff has taken a shift to the right since Donald Trump’s election, though whether it’s a true change of heart or canny opportunism remains to be seen.&nbsp;</p>

From ‘Based Benioff’ to penis Botox, The Standard’s top 10 tech stories of 2024 

Kevin Truong

On the eve of an incredibly tight <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/04/san-francisco-voters-turnout-election-trump-kamala/">November election</a> that will dictate her political future, Mayor London Breed took the podium to announce a new park on the Embarcadero.

These San Franciscans don&#8217;t give a rat&#8217;s ass about the election

<p>On the eve of an incredibly tight <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/04/san-francisco-voters-turnout-election-trump-kamala/">November election</a> that will dictate her political future, Mayor London Breed took the podium to announce a new park on the Embarcadero.</p>

Technically, it’s the creation of a public-private partnership to potentially enable the construction of a new park, but who’s counting?

<p>Technically, it’s the creation of a public-private partnership to potentially enable the construction of a new park, but who’s counting?</p>

Breed plans to introduce legislation on Tuesday to greenlight a partnership between the city, Salesforce Tower owner BXP Inc. (formerly Boston Properties), and the Downtown SF Partnership to redesign and upgrade the Embarcadero Plaza in front of the Ferry Building and the adjacent Sue Bierman Park.

<p>Breed plans to introduce legislation on Tuesday to greenlight a partnership between the city, Salesforce Tower owner BXP Inc. (formerly Boston Properties), and the Downtown SF Partnership to redesign and upgrade the Embarcadero Plaza in front of the Ferry Building and the adjacent Sue Bierman Park.</p>

“We are going to reimagine what Embarcadero Plaza will be for the future so that people who want to come here can enjoy it,” Breed said at the press conference, before listing a string of recent park projects that have been open to the public, including <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/05/bayfront-park-chase-center/">Bayfront Park</a>, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/29/china-basin-park-opens/">China Basin Park</a>, and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/07/17/party-on-a-freeway-sfs-much-anticipated-tunnel-tops-park-opens-in-the-presidio/">Presidio Tunnel Tops</a>.&nbsp;

SF has been opening new parks at a furious clip—and the next one is almost here

China Basin revealed: How a &#8216;complicated land-use deal&#8217; yielded a new gem by the bay

Party on a freeway: SF’s much-anticipated Tunnel Tops Park opens in the Presidio

<p>“We are going to reimagine what Embarcadero Plaza will be for the future so that people who want to come here can enjoy it,” Breed said at the press conference, before listing a string of recent park projects that have been open to the public, including <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/05/bayfront-park-chase-center/">Bayfront Park</a>, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/29/china-basin-park-opens/">China Basin Park</a>, and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/07/17/party-on-a-freeway-sfs-much-anticipated-tunnel-tops-park-opens-in-the-presidio/">Presidio Tunnel Tops</a>.&nbsp;</p>

“All these open public spaces every single weekend are packed with people. This is one step further to making a plaza like this come to life differently.”

<p>“All these open public spaces every single weekend are packed with people. This is one step further to making a plaza like this come to life differently.”</p>

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The resolution would call for BXP to spend $2.5 million on the design of the project, while the Recreation &amp; Parks Department and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development would commit to securing $15 million in public funds for the park.&nbsp;

<p>The resolution would call for BXP to spend $2.5 million on the design of the project, while the Recreation &amp; Parks Department and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development would commit to securing $15 million in public funds for the park.&nbsp;</p>

BXP and the Downtown SF Partnership would also be charged with working to secure an additional $10 million in private funding.&nbsp;

<p>BXP and the Downtown SF Partnership would also be charged with working to secure an additional $10 million in private funding.&nbsp;</p>

What exactly the project would consist of is still an open question and subject to community outreach, but ideas include entertainment venues, a new children’s playground, or a marketplace space with kiosks. Any potential renovation of the park would go through public hearings and review.&nbsp;

<p>What exactly the project would consist of is still an open question and subject to community outreach, but ideas include entertainment venues, a new children’s playground, or a marketplace space with kiosks. Any potential renovation of the park would go through public hearings and review.&nbsp;</p>

“San Francisco needs a world-class park in its downtown,” said Aaron Fenton, senior vice president of BXP, at the press conference. “This is such a prime piece of real estate with its iconic views and its access to public transportation”

<p>“San Francisco needs a world-class park in its downtown,” said Aaron Fenton, senior vice president of BXP, at the press conference. “This is such a prime piece of real estate with its iconic views and its access to public transportation”</p>

BXP has been working with the design firm HOK for about a year on a redesign of the plaza in a bid to better activate the area and make it an attractive amenity for its tenants. During that time, the city has tried to activate the area with programming like concerts, raves, and DJ sets.&nbsp;

<p>BXP has been working with the design firm HOK for about a year on a redesign of the plaza in a bid to better activate the area and make it an attractive amenity for its tenants. During that time, the city has tried to activate the area with programming like concerts, raves, and DJ sets.&nbsp;</p>

“As the front door to San Francisco, Embarcadero Plaza is arguably the most underutilized public space in the greater downtown area and prime to welcome residents and visitors downtown to experience a world-class waterfront park in a world-class city,” Robbie Silver, Downtown SF Partnership CEO and president, said in a statement.

<p>“As the front door to San Francisco, Embarcadero Plaza is arguably the most underutilized public space in the greater downtown area and prime to welcome residents and visitors downtown to experience a world-class waterfront park in a world-class city,” Robbie Silver, Downtown SF Partnership CEO and president, said in a statement.</p>

Opinion: Embarcadero Plaza is a living shrine to skateboarding history — don’t desecrate it

sf-standard/related-post

Mark Farrell reveals ‘bold’ vision for downtown. Mayor calls it a ChatGPT plan

The Ferry Building is hot again. Here’s how it happened

sf-standard/related-posts-container

Initial renderings shared by the team show the removal of the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/21/bono-vaillancourt-fountain-drained/">Vaillancourt Fountain</a>, perhaps one of the city’s most reviled pieces of public art.&nbsp;

The Bono fountain is broken. Is SF too broke to pay for its $3 million fix?

<p>Initial renderings shared by the team show the removal of the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/21/bono-vaillancourt-fountain-drained/">Vaillancourt Fountain</a>, perhaps one of the city’s most reviled pieces of public art.&nbsp;</p>

The real estate developer, which also owns the adjacent Embarcadero Center, touted increased vitality from its planned revamp, including a publicly accessible bathroom at its property with an eye-popping $2.5 million price tag.

<p>The real estate developer, which also owns the adjacent Embarcadero Center, touted increased vitality from its planned revamp, including a publicly accessible bathroom at its property with an eye-popping $2.5 million price tag.</p>

Breed’s legislation is being put forward a few months after Mark Farrell — one of Breed’s leading competitors for mayor — <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/17/mark-farrell-downtown-recovery-plan/">proposed his own version</a> of a new Embarcadero Plaza park as part of a larger downtown revitalization plan.

<p>Breed’s legislation is being put forward a few months after Mark Farrell — one of Breed’s leading competitors for mayor — <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/07/17/mark-farrell-downtown-recovery-plan/">proposed his own version</a> of a new Embarcadero Plaza park as part of a larger downtown revitalization plan.</p>

At the time, a Breed campaign spokesman derided the plan as a “Chat-GPT” envisioned fantasy.&nbsp;

<p>At the time, a Breed campaign spokesman derided the plan as a “Chat-GPT” envisioned fantasy.&nbsp;</p>

A new park may come to SF’s Embarcadero with help from the Salesforce Tower owner

Rya Jetha

High above San Francisco, nestled in the clouds, sits the headquarters of a secret society meant to solve humanity’s most daunting challenges. You most certainly are <em>not </em>invited to the club — and you’re not supposed to know it exists.&nbsp;

<p>High above San Francisco, nestled in the clouds, sits the headquarters of a secret society meant to solve humanity’s most daunting challenges. You most certainly are <em>not </em>invited to the club — and you’re not supposed to know it exists.&nbsp;</p>

Behold <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/">the Institute</a>. If you&#8217;ve heard of it, it&#8217;s probably because you possess something its founders covet: billions in your bank account, a bold-face name in an esoteric field, maybe a Nobel Prize.

<p>Behold <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/">the Institute</a>. If you've heard of it, it's probably because you possess something its founders covet: billions in your bank account, a bold-face name in an esoteric field, maybe a Nobel Prize.</p>

<p>Behold <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/">the Institute</a>. If you&#8217;ve heard of it, it&#8217;s probably because you possess something its founders covet: billions in your bank account, a bold-face name in an esoteric field, maybe a Nobel Prize.</p>

Located on the 59th floor of San Francisco’s tallest building, Salesforce Tower, the Institute has a sprawling 18,000-square-foot lounge designed by <a href="https://www.iwamotoscott.com/projects/level-59">IwamotoScott Architecture</a> and styled by John Terzian, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/style/john-terzian-hwood-clubs.html">owner of a nightclub empire</a> frequented by celebrities. The libraries, cafe, and bar in the <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-space">stunning space</a> have panoramic city views. Looking out at the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower and Alcatraz in the distance, and the dazzling bay under the Golden Gate Bridge, one feels godlike.

<p>Located on the 59th floor of San Francisco’s tallest building, Salesforce Tower, the Institute has a sprawling 18,000-square-foot lounge designed by <a href="https://www.iwamotoscott.com/projects/level-59">IwamotoScott Architecture</a> and styled by John Terzian, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/style/john-terzian-hwood-clubs.html">owner of a nightclub empire</a> frequented by celebrities. The libraries, cafe, and bar in the <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-space">stunning space</a> have panoramic city views. Looking out at the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower and Alcatraz in the distance, and the dazzling bay under the Golden Gate Bridge, one feels godlike.</p>

That is exactly what the Institute’s founders, venture capitalists Alexander Tamas and John Hering, intended.&nbsp;

<p>That is exactly what the Institute’s founders, venture capitalists Alexander Tamas and John Hering, intended.&nbsp;</p>

A modern twist on Enlightenment-era French and Viennese coffeehouses, where intellectuals gathered to discuss the issues of the day, the Institute pitches itself as a salon for great minds to tackle humanity’s biggest challenges.&nbsp;

<p>A modern twist on Enlightenment-era French and Viennese coffeehouses, where intellectuals gathered to discuss the issues of the day, the Institute pitches itself as a salon for great minds to tackle humanity’s biggest challenges.&nbsp;</p>

You won’t find Leon Trotsky or Simone de Beauvoir sipping cappuccinos in the lounge, discussing revolution and feminism. You might, however, find Sal Khan, founder of online educational platform Khan Academy, in an animated conversation with acclaimed chef Alice Waters, or Canada’s most decorated astronaut chatting it up with the United Arab Emirate’s artificial intelligence minister and the chief executive of Burning Man.&nbsp;

<p>You won’t find Leon Trotsky or Simone de Beauvoir sipping cappuccinos in the lounge, discussing revolution and feminism. You might, however, find Sal Khan, founder of online educational platform Khan Academy, in an animated conversation with acclaimed chef Alice Waters, or Canada’s most decorated astronaut chatting it up with the United Arab Emirate’s artificial intelligence minister and the chief executive of Burning Man.&nbsp;</p>

It’s ambitious stuff, and while it may not be the lucrative venture its founders originally envisioned —&nbsp;an invitation-only clubhouse for the tech elite, who would pay handsomely for admission —&nbsp;it serves their decade-long quest to build social capital in the heart of Silicon Valley.

<p>It’s ambitious stuff, and while it may not be the lucrative venture its founders originally envisioned —&nbsp;an invitation-only clubhouse for the tech elite, who would pay handsomely for admission —&nbsp;it serves their decade-long quest to build social capital in the heart of Silicon Valley.</p>

A composite image of Alice Waters, Sal Khan, and Chris Hadfield. They are apart of a super secretive new institute bringing together famous intellectuals from across the world that's on the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-salesforcetowersecretinstitute-62.jpeg?w=2500" alt="Three people are shown in side-by-side portraits: a smiling woman with short dark hair, a man with a beard in a tuxedo, and a man with a mustache in a checkered jacket." class="wp-image-323730"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chef Alice Waters, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield are among the Institute&#8217;s 75 fellows.</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-salesforcetowersecretinstitute-62.jpeg?w=2500" alt="Three people are shown in side-by-side portraits: a smiling woman with short dark hair, a man with a beard in a tuxedo, and a man with a mustache in a checkered jacket." class="wp-image-323730"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chef Alice Waters, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield are among the Institute's 75 fellows.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-salesforcetowersecretinstitute-62.jpeg?w=2500" alt="Three people are shown in side-by-side portraits: a smiling woman with short dark hair, a man with a beard in a tuxedo, and a man with a mustache in a checkered jacket." class="wp-image-323730"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chef Alice Waters, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield are among the Institute&#8217;s 75 fellows.</figcaption></figure>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-behind-closed-doors-nbsp">Behind closed doors&nbsp;</h2>


Tamas and Hering have spent years trying to climb the tech industry ladder, sometimes in strange ways.&nbsp;

<p>Tamas and Hering have spent years trying to climb the tech industry ladder, sometimes in strange ways.&nbsp;</p>

Tamas, a German financier, is a former partner at DST Global, an investment firm founded by Israeli entrepreneur Yuri Milner that has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/05/russia-funded-facebook-twitter-investments-kushner-investor">close links to the Kremlin</a>. Tamas led blockbuster investments in Facebook, Airbnb, and Twitter. 

<p>Tamas, a German financier, is a former partner at DST Global, an investment firm founded by Israeli entrepreneur Yuri Milner that has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/05/russia-funded-facebook-twitter-investments-kushner-investor">close links to the Kremlin</a>. Tamas led blockbuster investments in Facebook, Airbnb, and Twitter. </p>

In 2011, Tamas was named among the “most powerful people in tech you’ve never heard of” by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. “He is Yuri Milner&#8217;s human supercomputer,” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmm45emlh/1-alexander-tamas-partner-dst/?sh=68b0a0de6901">they wrote</a>. “He&#8217;s on speed-dial for everyone trying to build the most successful, highest-scale, global Internet companies today.”

<p>In 2011, Tamas was named among the “most powerful people in tech you’ve never heard of” by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. “He is Yuri Milner's human supercomputer,” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmm45emlh/1-alexander-tamas-partner-dst/?sh=68b0a0de6901">they wrote</a>. “He's on speed-dial for everyone trying to build the most successful, highest-scale, global Internet companies today.”</p>

<p>In 2011, Tamas was named among the “most powerful people in tech you’ve never heard of” by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. “He is Yuri Milner&#8217;s human supercomputer,” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmm45emlh/1-alexander-tamas-partner-dst/?sh=68b0a0de6901">they wrote</a>. “He&#8217;s on speed-dial for everyone trying to build the most successful, highest-scale, global Internet companies today.”</p>

The following year, Tamas, who had moved to Dubai, launched a global tech-focused hedge fund that didn’t take off. He pivoted to Silicon Valley and hired Hering, a USC dropout turned cybersecurity mogul, to help him run a venture fund, Vy Capital.&nbsp;

<p>The following year, Tamas, who had moved to Dubai, launched a global tech-focused hedge fund that didn’t take off. He pivoted to Silicon Valley and hired Hering, a USC dropout turned cybersecurity mogul, to help him run a venture fund, Vy Capital.&nbsp;</p>

Tamas and Hering agreed that if Vy Capital were to join the big leagues, they needed to make a splashy move. For their stage, they leased the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower, the 61-floor monolith that is the focal point of San Francisco’s skyline. Downtown brokers estimate that the space costs north of $100 a square foot, among the highest rent in the city. At that rate, annual rent would be about $2 million.&nbsp;

<p>Tamas and Hering agreed that if Vy Capital were to join the big leagues, they needed to make a splashy move. For their stage, they leased the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower, the 61-floor monolith that is the focal point of San Francisco’s skyline. Downtown brokers estimate that the space costs north of $100 a square foot, among the highest rent in the city. At that rate, annual rent would be about $2 million.&nbsp;</p>

But the lease was not intended for Vy Capital’s office — it was for a private club that Tamas and Hering planned to call 59. They planned to charge an initiation fee of $1 million, plus annual dues of $60,000, to mingle with “the world’s leading thinkers.” They tried to convince Sam Altman, who was running the Silicon Valley startup incubator Y Combinator, to lease part of the floor for his startup OpenAI and become a founding member of the club. But Altman passed, and Tamas and Hering soon gave up on the idea, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/musk-investors-spacex-ai-tesla-2711aca1">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>.&nbsp;

<p>But the lease was not intended for Vy Capital’s office — it was for a private club that Tamas and Hering planned to call 59. They planned to charge an initiation fee of $1 million, plus annual dues of $60,000, to mingle with “the world’s leading thinkers.” They tried to convince Sam Altman, who was running the Silicon Valley startup incubator Y Combinator, to lease part of the floor for his startup OpenAI and become a founding member of the club. But Altman passed, and Tamas and Hering soon gave up on the idea, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/musk-investors-spacex-ai-tesla-2711aca1">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Having struck out with Altman, Tamas and Hering set their sights on another tech-billionaire whale: Elon Musk. Through extensive efforts by Hering to gain access to the funding rounds of Musk’s startups, Vy Capital was able to invest more than half of its reported $8 billion in assets in his companies. Hering found his way into Musk’s inner circle of advisors. Tamas, meanwhile, moved to Italy in 2022 and has told investors that Vy Capital is winding down operations.&nbsp;

<p>Having struck out with Altman, Tamas and Hering set their sights on another tech-billionaire whale: Elon Musk. Through extensive efforts by Hering to gain access to the funding rounds of Musk’s startups, Vy Capital was able to invest more than half of its reported $8 billion in assets in his companies. Hering found his way into Musk’s inner circle of advisors. Tamas, meanwhile, moved to Italy in 2022 and has told investors that Vy Capital is winding down operations.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-think-tank-in-the-sky-nbsp">Think tank in the sky&nbsp;</h2>


It’s unclear when the Institute opened, but its website appears to have launched in 2021.&nbsp;

<p>It’s unclear when the Institute opened, but its website appears to have launched in 2021.&nbsp;</p>

The Institute defines itself as a <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/about-us">public-benefit think tank</a> concerned with “advancing human progress” and working to “make the world a better place.” Instead of having to shell over $1 million for membership, 75 experts at the top of their fields have accepted invitations to serve as “fellows.”

<p>The Institute defines itself as a <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/about-us">public-benefit think tank</a> concerned with “advancing human progress” and working to “make the world a better place.” Instead of having to shell over $1 million for membership, 75 experts at the top of their fields have accepted invitations to serve as “fellows.”</p>

<a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-community">They include</a> biochemist David Baker, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry; Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector turned human rights activist; and mushroom researcher Paul Stamets of “Fantastic Fungi” fame. Other fellows are distinguished writers, historians, musicians, scientists, and executives, selected “by the work they have done, the power of their ideas, and their commitment to solving the world’s problems,” the website states. The fellowship includes structured and unstructured time to spark creative thinking, according to the site, which doesn’t offer specifics about the time commitment.&nbsp;

<p><a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-community">They include</a> biochemist David Baker, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry; Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector turned human rights activist; and mushroom researcher Paul Stamets of “Fantastic Fungi” fame. Other fellows are distinguished writers, historians, musicians, scientists, and executives, selected “by the work they have done, the power of their ideas, and their commitment to solving the world’s problems,” the website states. The fellowship includes structured and unstructured time to spark creative thinking, according to the site, which doesn’t offer specifics about the time commitment.&nbsp;</p>

A composite image of David Baker Yeonmi Park, and Paul Stamets. They are apart of a super secretive new institute bringing together famous intellectuals from across the world that's on the 59th floor of Salesforce Tower


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241011-salesforcetowersecretinstitute-61.jpeg?w=2500" alt="The image shows three people: a man with curly hair and glasses speaking, a woman in a black dress with floral earrings, and a bearded man in a hat with glasses." class="wp-image-323729"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nobel Prize-winning chemist David Baker, North Korean defector Yeonmi Park, and mushroom researcher Paul Stamets are fellows.</figcaption></figure>


The Institute is registered as a public benefit corporation, meaning it’s a for-profit business created to do social good. It doesn’t appear to have revenue sources, raising questions about whether Tamas and Hering are bankrolling it.&nbsp;

<p>The Institute is registered as a public benefit corporation, meaning it’s a for-profit business created to do social good. It doesn’t appear to have revenue sources, raising questions about whether Tamas and Hering are bankrolling it.&nbsp;</p>

The Institute’s <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-initiatives">focus areas</a> range from transportation and climate change to human longevity and consciousness. The website includes reports on the future of artificial intelligence, urbanization, and biosecurity, but the audience for them is unclear.&nbsp;

<p>The Institute’s <a href="https://www.theinstitute.com/our-initiatives">focus areas</a> range from transportation and climate change to human longevity and consciousness. The website includes reports on the future of artificial intelligence, urbanization, and biosecurity, but the audience for them is unclear.&nbsp;</p>

<a href="https://www.research.ox.ac.uk/researchers/nick-bostrom">Nick Bostrom</a>, a philosophy professor at Oxford who popularized the idea that superintelligent AI could destroy humanity, is a fellow at the Institute involved in initiatives on AI and biosecurity. In an email, Bostrom said the Institute brings together “an interesting and diverse group of people, and I think it’s great to encourage exchanges between individuals from different fields in a relaxed setting.” He added that he has yet to visit the headquarters in San Francisco.&nbsp;

<p><a href="https://www.research.ox.ac.uk/researchers/nick-bostrom">Nick Bostrom</a>, a philosophy professor at Oxford who popularized the idea that superintelligent AI could destroy humanity, is a fellow at the Institute involved in initiatives on AI and biosecurity. In an email, Bostrom said the Institute brings together “an interesting and diverse group of people, and I think it’s great to encourage exchanges between individuals from different fields in a relaxed setting.” He added that he has yet to visit the headquarters in San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>

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