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Harvard-educated US founder hits back after backlash over Bali trip with staff: ‘Calling me a toxic loser’

A US entrepreneur faced severe backlash for bragging about a Bali trip with staff while mocking others. He has reacted to the criticism in a LinkedIn post.

Updated on: Jul 25, 2025, 07:00:01 IST
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A US entrepreneur was mocked and criticised on Reddit over his LinkedIn post about taking his entire staff to Bali for a vacation. While the gesture itself wasn’t condemned, the co-founder’s choice of wording irked social media users.

The US co-founder whose LinkedIn post about a Bali trip received backlash after it went viral on Reddit. (LinkedIn/Stephen Turban)
The US co-founder whose LinkedIn post about a Bali trip received backlash after it went viral on Reddit. (LinkedIn/Stephen Turban)

People accused Stephen Turban, co-founder and director at Lumiere, of bragging about the trip while putting others down. He has now responded to the criticism in a latest LinkedIn post.

Also Read: Co-founder trolled for turning honeymoon bed-wetting story into leadership lesson on LinkedIn

“I woke up this morning to 4000 people calling me a douchebag on Reddit. And honestly? I couldn’t be happier,” he wrote in his latest LinkedIn post.

“Not because people were calling me a douchebag. Or a toxic loser. That kinda s**ks to hear,” he continued, adding, “But, I was happy because this is exactly what I want.”

He concluded his post by saying, “If you’re being attacked. You’re on the right path.”

Social media reacts:

While his previous post received severe backlash after landing on Reddit, his response on LinkedIn found support from social media users. A few, however, claimed it wasn’t wise to “flex” while putting others down.

An Indian founder dropped his thoughts in the comments section. He wrote, “If everyone agrees with you, you’re probably not doing anything original. Hate means attention. Attention means awareness. And awareness builds leverage.”

Also Read: ‘Fly economy for fun’: US founder trolled for frugality post after she's accused of stealing millions

Another individual posted, “I still think my life rocks, although I'm not going to Bali, which does sound nice. But to your point, when you stick your head above the crowd, expect some tomatoes lol.”

A third expressed, “Seems counterintuitive to tell people ‘your life f**king sucks’ and then call yourself ‘really nice’ a few words later. Probably where this r/LL post came from.” Turban's previous post went viral on a subreddit called “LinkedIn Lunatics (LL).”

Where is Stephen Turban study?

Stephen Turban completed his Bachelor of Science degree from Harvard University. Later, he completed his PhD from Harvard Business School. According to his LinkedIn bio, he once worked at McKinsey & Company.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More