Hi,

There's something incredibly deceptive going in that Reddit post.

AlertSense didn't hire these dancers at all. Did Silsby have in any way have a connection with this dance troupe? We have no idea.

Silsby's CEO worked at HP, Silsby did not. So did he pay them $20,000? No. No he did not. Why?They performed at HP, but were not in fact hired, HP didn't pay this group at all. That story was wrong.

And that Reddit poster knows this. Did you notice how the guy doesn't link to that All Things HD page he screenshotted?

That's because he/she is lying about that news article. This is the headline on that page CNNMoney Says Its Story About HP Hiring $20,000 Dancers Isn’t True. It goes on to say

HP complained to CNNMoney, which has since altered the story considerably. A headline that first read, “Why Hewlett-Packard is hiring dancers” now reads “Dance troupe markets creativity to cube-dwellers,” and is accompanied by a lengthy correction note. I asked CNNMoney tech editor Stacy Cowley for a comment, and she basically pointed me to the editor’s note that’s now topping the story. It reads: “An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the relationship between Hewlett-Packard and the Trey McIntyre Project. The dance troupe has performed at HP’s Boise office several times as part of a company event showcasing the area’s artistic organizations and charities, but HP has not hired or paid TMP for its creative services. The text of this article has been updated and corrected. CNNMoney regrets the error.”

....

After a number of conversations with individuals at HP and the Trey McIntyre Project (TMP), the nonprofit arts organization referenced in the piece, it became clear that the story was a fabrication. Aside from inviting TMP to participate, along with other nonprofits, in HP’s annual charitable giving day in Boise the past two years, TMP has no relationship with HP. HP has never hired or paid TMP for their services. They don’t help us with our business and we don’t show them how to dance. I reached out to the editor responsible for the story, who was very responsive. CNNMoney apologized for the error and issued a correction, which you can read here. While we’re grateful for CNNMoney’s quick response, we question how they allowed such sloppy journalism to see the light of day.

So this "obvious" idea is obviously false

They laundered the money obviously through the dance troupe.

Why would the Reddit poster be deceptive like this. Because he/she knew y'all would start jumping to conclusions like this one

So, - they were raking in big bucks, for this dance troupe that was working for half a day with the kids, etc.

Kids ? Who said the dance troupe was working with kids? Nobody. The 'business mode' is specifically about teaching the creative process to corporations and their employees. So this is all adults.

WTF was going on that was worth 2.2 mil - for literally 48hours stretched out over a 5 year period.

This part is completely confused. 2.2 million is the entire annual budget for the dance troupe. And they make a third of that from corporate engagements, about $750,000.

48 hours of work over 5 years? Do you think the only time a dance troupe or any other performance group works like a football team is when they are in front of paying customers? Have you ever heard of rehearsal or practice?

Do you think business consultants only do work when they on onsite?

Also are you unaware that large companies often hire performers?

Here's a list corporate comedians at various price ranges, here's the $10K t0 20K https://funny-business.com/?sfid=475&_sft_pricerange=010000to020000

And this is just for entertainment, with no business value. The dance troupe was not just performing. Here's how the revised CNN article states what they offer.

HP doesn't pay TMP for its services, but some corporate clients do. TMP's rates for its "engagement" line of business start at around $20,000 for a half-day presentation featuring four members of its dance company. Each presentation is tailored for the specific customer and its goals.

If you want more info on using creativity in business, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business invited the dance company's executive director to work at the school. https://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/36/3/letters/letters2.aspx

The CEO of AlertSense did bring TMP to HP when he worked there. There's no evidence TMP has ever interacted with Silsby.