Joseph Firmage
Joseph Firmage | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Firmage |
| Occupations | Technology entrepreneur, investor |
| Known for | Co-founder of USWeb; promotion of extraterrestrial and antigravity claims |
Joseph Firmage is an American technology entrepreneur and investor who co-founded internet services company USWeb in 1995.[1][2][3] He rose to prominence during the dot-com boom and was later known for promoting claims about extraterrestrials and antigravity propulsion technology.[4][1]
Career
[edit]Early ventures and USWeb
[edit]Firmage founded the software company Serius Corp. as a teenager.[2][3] In 1993, Novell acquired Serius for approximately $24 million, making Firmage a vice president at the company.[2][3]
In 1995, he co-founded the digital design company USWeb.[2][3] USWeb went public in 1998 and was valued at approximately $2.5 billion during the dot-com boom.[2][3] In 1998, Forbes named Firmage one of its "Masters of the New Universe".[4][3]
In late 1998, Firmage publicly stated that he had experienced an encounter with an extraterrestrial being and began promoting beliefs about alien visitation and advanced propulsion physics.[2][5] Amid concerns from investors during a merger between USWeb and CKS Group, he stepped down from his leadership role.[2][6]
Later projects and legal issues
[edit]After leaving USWeb, Firmage funded and launched several ventures focused on science media and propulsion research, including projects developed with Ann Druyan.[6][1] He later pursued efforts to develop antigravity propulsion technology, claiming that his work had attracted interest from U.S. government agencies.[1][3]
Beginning in the 2010s and early 2020s, investors filed lawsuits alleging that Firmage had raised millions of dollars based on false representations about government contracts and technological breakthroughs.[1][3] A federal civil suit filed in 2023 alleged that he and his associates were responsible for approximately $25 million in investor losses in a Ponzi scheme.[1][7][8][9]
In 2023, Utah authorities charged Firmage with financially exploiting and abusing a vulnerable adult in connection with allegations that he took control of an elderly woman's finances and failed to pay her living expenses.[3][1]
Personal life
[edit]Firmage was raised in Salt Lake City in a Mormon family. He left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teenager.[2][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Crane, Brent (March 2025). "The Cosmic Con". Bloomberg Businessweek. No. 4829.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Achenbach, Joel (1999-03-31). "The CEO From Cyberspace: Joe Firmage, A Master of the Universe at 28, Wants to Defy Gravity and Visit the Far Corners Of His Realm". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Alberty, Erin (2024-02-29). "Former Silicon Valley exec accused of Ponzi scheme, elder abuse in Utah". Axios. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ a b Mac, Ryan (2012-04-04). "Forbes' 'Masters Of The New Universe' 14 Years Later". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
Among those under 30 at the time, Joe Firmage was the exception. The founder and CEO of USWeb, an online consulting firm valued at $800 million in 1998, he left the company in 1999 to further investigate his theory that all technology came from extraterrestrials. He has since toned down his foray into alien-awareness to start a series of web sites aimed at understanding and connecting the cosmos.
- ^ a b Davis, Erik (1999-06-01). "Joe Firmage, Silicon Valley UFOnaut". San Francisco. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ a b Borland, John (August 18, 2000). "Joe Firmage sheds E.T. aura for science site". CNET. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ Miller, Ben (2023-08-31). "Tech Entrepreneur Sued Over $25 Million Lab Project Ponzi Scheme". Archived from the original on 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ Al-Sibai, Noor (2025-02-10). "Man Who Claims to Have Anti-Gravity Device Now in Deep Trouble". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ Prada, Luis (2025-02-17). "Alien Abduction Conspiracies And Antigravity Scams: The Joseph Firmage Story". VICE. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
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