Are they generally expected to specifically disclose "this is my investment" if they tout its performance in a very large spotlight with a lot of news coverage? What about citing the good aspects of the company's performance while not mentioning the bad?
What are the ethics of an influential venture capitalist touting their own investments in a presentation?
Answers
it depends on the objectives of the discussion and the audience. Is the speaker trying to encourage sophisticated investors (who can "read between the lines") for investment or are they targeting the average investor that is supposed to receive material information about the associated
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It's actually a very high-profile, general audience presentation that is seen by average people. The VC touted companies she leads investment for, but did not disclose that. One of those companies was trying to land a billion dollar deal as she touted it onstage. I don't know the rules, but seemed disclosure would at least be transparent?
Define "touted". Is that "you should invest in X company" or is that "X Company sells widgets".
The first is a sales pitch, the second wouldn't be, but both in context could be touting...
Private investors can request more information like a PPM (private placement memorandum) and the VC should have these additional disclosure for those who want to consider making an investment (Regulation D provides more information on private placements). Here's non-SEC content / resource that explains this reg.. http://www.seclaw.com/docs/pplace.htm
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