answers given by LMG to Phillip DeFranco. where they covered questions regarding allegations made by Madison Reeve.
Here's the full LMG FAQ that they sent us:
Q: Was the Billet Labs prototype “stolen”?
A: Billet Labs agreed to send us a prototype after we expressed interest in covering the product. Billet Labs agreed to send us the product and said we could keep the prototype instead of returning the product. However, after the release of the video Billet Labs then offered the opportunity to cover a follow up 4090 waterblock, for a future video. Then about 4 days later they requested the return of the block. LMG agreed to return it along with the 3090 Ti.
Q: Why was there a delay in the return of Billet Labs property?
A: The writer of the project handed off the return to another department, but communication was missed. The writer then went on vacation for 2 weeks, returning just before LTX. During this time there was no communication sent from either Billet Labs or LMG. After LTX, upon return to office, the writer followed up with Billet Labs to make sure that they had been sent their property. It was
Q: Why was the prototype block sold?
A: The block was added to a list of products available in a charity auction that was being held at LTX 2023, the company’s fan expo. The goal was to provide unique and rare items for community members to purchase. The prototype ended up being selected, as our internal systems had the item listed as company property, rather than as a return. This was due to a communication error between Billet Labs, the writer of the video, and the procurement team at LMG. The block never should have been part of the auction. (adam)
Q: What are your thoughts on members of the community feeling this initial controversy wasn’t taken seriously due to jokes about store plugs, kicks to sponsores, and the video addressing the situation being monetized?
A: We're LMG. Even when our content is serious, we have elements of fun in it. This has always been our style and we wanted to send a message to our community that just because the suits are talking about workflows and processes, the fun isn't going away. Jokes aside - we have a decade-long unbroken streak of daily videos. To pull back this dramatically I think shows how seriously we're taking community's feedback. We didn't include a sponsor for the video and we heard the feedback from our community and from our team internally and we turned off Adsense monetization for this video.
Q: What is your response to the allegations levied by former employee Madison Reeve and will there be any action taken?
A: We are taking the allegations very seriously. Immediately, our HR team will be conducting a thorough assessment of the allegations. We've already begun combing our personnel files and past notes and correspondences to see if we can corroborate any of what's being said. Furthermore, we will also be hiring an outside investigator to look into the allegations and will commit to publishing the findings and implementing any corrective actions that may arise because of this. When we are ready, we will release a statement. For now, we would ask that we allow our team the time they need be as thorough as possible. As this will take some time and due to our employee confidentiality responsibilities we may not be able to provide a comprehensive statement until we've completed our investigation. We pride ourselves on maintaining a safe and inclusive environment. In addition to our existing report systems (both anonymous and otherwise) we've proactively reached out internally today to encourage members of our team to report any workplace bullying or harassment they might be experiencing so we can take quick and decisive action. We are halting video production and will be reducing our video output in the coming weeks as we strive to provide improvements to processes and work-life balance for our employees.
