Gawker: valleywag, orkut buyukkokten

Marissa Mayer dateless at society gala?

Jackson West — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT

Wearing a green ballgown and patent leather belt from designer Catherine Martin and plenty of diamonds, Google cupcake princess Marissa Mayer mingled with the local society set at the San Francisco Symphony opening night gala. But the big news isn't that Martin clearly chose the green print from the upholstery section at the fabric store, but that Mayer's venture capitalist boytoy Zack Bogue was nowhere to be seen in any pictures. Could the pair be on the outs? Of course, where Mayer goes, A-list Google gay Orkut Büyükkökten and his partner Derek Holbrook are sure to follow. The pair wore white and silver tuxes, respectively — however, with no right hands visible in their photo, we can't tell if the betrothed couple have officially tied the knot yet. Update: Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Don Draper, the Chronicle has pics of Bogue and Mayer arm-in-arm. Looks like Bogue took our advice and dressed it up with a pocket square.(Photo by Drew Altizer via SFLuxe)

Marissa and Orkut prove geeks are label whores too

Paul Boutin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:40:00 EDT

SFLuxe has photo proof that yes, that was Google cupcake princess Marissa Mayer at the years-delayed opening of Prada's San Francisco store on Maiden Lane in Union Square. Next to her in the "I heart Prada" tee is Orkut Büyükkökten, the totally gay Googler who unintentionally brought social networking to millions of Brazilians. Hey, don't forget to update Google Maps, which still points to Prada's temporary store on Geary. Prada, known for its sexy, well-built women's shoes, also makes men's footwear and a line of downtown-chic clothing for abnormally skinny people of all genders. I'll be down the street at Macy's.(Photo by Damion Matthews)

In a week of gay weddings, where are Derek and Orkut, Marissa Mayer's best boyfriends?

Owen Thomas — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Google engineer Orkut Buyukkokten, the one behind the eponymous social network, has gotten engaged to boyfriend Derek Holbrook, Valleywag's youngest-ever tipster tells us. The two are shown here, in coordinated outfits, with fabulous friend Marissa Mayer, the Google executive who greenlighted Orkut's site. Will the two get married this week, now that the California Supreme Court has made it legal? No word yet, but if Mayer serves as witness, we hope she'll wear something a bit less flashy. No one — not even Marissa — shows up the grooms at their own gay wedding. (Photo by Drew Altizer via SFluxe)

Marissa Mayer and friends on display at department store

Jackson West — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:40:00 EDT

The Palo Alto Neiman Marcus held a preview of the Oscar de la Renta fall collection for a San Francisco Symphony benefit, and we all know how much Google's Marissa Mayer loves her some de la Renta. So she showed up with boy toy Zack Bogue (far left) and Google senior UI designer Kerah Pelczarski (second from the right), who seems to play the role of Gayle King to Mayer's Oprah Winfrey.

I have to admit, the black-and-white dress with fringed hem she wore was downright tasteful! But Bogue, handsome as he may be, could dandy up just a bit — the dark suit, white shirt and light blue tie is pretty conservative, and looks like something well-gelled God-mayor Gavin Newsom wears nearly daily. I wouldn't recommend Bogue going over the top à la Mayer's fey friend Orkut Buyukkokten, but would it kill him to wear a pocket square to a fashion show? (Photos by Drew Altizer)

Photos from Marissa Mayer's "Sex and the City" screening

Owen Thomas — Sat, 31 May 2008 01:30:00 EDT

CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 — Where are the girls? An event producer and I both nervously paced through the lobby. Where was Marissa Mayer? The Google executive had rented a theater for the 8:50 screening of Sex and the City, but she and 300 of her closest friends were nowhere to be seen. Late, of course — have you tried to walk the block-long distance between Mayer's Four Seasons penthouse and the Westfield Centre in a pair of Manolo Blahniks? Finally, I spotted someone I knew — gorgeous Googler Brittany Bohnet, girlfriend of Facebooker Dave Morin, above. ("People are saying I look like Charlotte," said Bohnet, pictured above. "Do you think so?" Yes. Cuter than Charlotte, actually.

AllThingsD's Kara Swisher also showed up with her Googler spouse, Megan Smith. "We're dressed as lesbians," said Swisher. (How was one supposed to tell the difference? Oh, right — usually Swisher's dressed like a soccer mom.)

Somewhere in the confusion, the event's producer thrust a ticket in my hand, and I walked into the screening. No sign of Marissa, though, who I'd heard was wearing a Pucci dress. Before I could spot her, the producer walked up the aisle to my seat. "Owen?" he asked? Yep, that's right — eighty-sixed again. I spotted Orkut Buyukkokten, Marissa's best gay friend, on my way out. Not that I minded getting booted, really — I hear the movie's not all that great. I was more interested in the trailer I saw for Mamma Mia — hey, Marissa, can you throw a screening for that, and invite me?

I'll leave you with one last pic of the moviegoers:

The party photos Googlers don't want you to see

Owen Thomas — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:40:00 EDT

Was it something we said? On Friday, we featured a snapshot of Googler Orkut Buyukkokten — yes, that Orkut. The photo appeared in Google engineering manager Niniane Wang's Smugmug gallery of a 2006 party held at colleague Orkut Buyukkokten's South of Market loft. The page now has a password, but it's trivially easy to guess: The street on which the party was held, all lowercase.

That would be "bryant"; the party was a farewell to Buyukkokten's loft at 767 Bryant, #204, known as Studio 767. Buyukkokten himself posted over 80 pages of photosto his .Mac homepage. No password, as of yet.

Orkut inventor may be best argument against H-1B visas yet

Owen Thomas — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Give us more H-1B visas and we'll give you innovative products. That's the pitch Google exec Laszlo Bock made to Congress as he decried the H-1B visa cap. Projects like also-ran social network Orkut, which was created (or stolen, depending on who you ask) by H-1B hire Orkut Buyukkokten (pictured, right) represent a boon to the U.S. economy, added Google lobbyist Pablo Chavez as he echoed Block's plea for more visas.

But this week's SEC filing painted a different picture of orkut, as Google warned investors that its "ability to generate revenue from services in which we have invested considerable time and resources, such as YouTube, Gmail, Orkut and Google Checkout" poses a risk to the company. Buyukkokten, meanwhile, has made enough off Google to buy a three-story apartment in San Francisco and hire male strippers for a birthday party.

Marissa Mayer hits the town with hunky boytoy and Orkut

Nicholas Carlson — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Google VP Marissa Mayer attended the San Francisco Ballet's New Work's Festival on Friday and she brought along all her favorite friends. These included Mayer's manfriend, real-estate fund manager Zack Bogue, who, for reasons unknowable hasn't starred in a season of ABC's the Bachelor yet. Mayer's outfit is "a softer, [more] feminine look than we usually see from her" reports SFLuxe — but check out Googler Orkut Buyukkokten's suit, below. It's a Roberto Cavalli, darlings.

You know Orkut Buyukkokten, don't you? Yes, he's that Orkut — the Googler behind the favorite website of Brazilian pederasts, neo-Nazis and Indian teenagers. And he's fabulous in sheen.

Here's Mayer with business partner Shinmin Li, proprietor of I Dream of Cake, the North Beach pastry salon. "Cupcakes anyone?" SFLuxe ignorantly asks. Anyone who's anyone knows that Mayer calls the business "cake-sculpting."