Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff reportedly scandalized Cisco's board by video-calling in to meetings from an elliptical machine in Hawaii (CRM, CSCO)

• Salesforce founder and co-CEO Marc Benioff's casual approach to board meetings scandalized some of Cisco's board members, according to Bloomberg.
• Benioff, who sat on Cisco's board from 2012 to 2014, would reportedly sometimes video-conference into Cisco board meetings from Hawaii.
• Through the video screen, Cisco's other board members could see Benioff exercising on an elliptical in a tanktop, according to the report.
• Read more on the Business Insider homepage.

It's a well known stereotype of Silicon Valley that founders rarely deviate from their uniform of jeans and a t-shirt. 

Leave it to Salesforce founder and co-CEO Marc Benioff to take it a step further.

Benioff, who served on Cisco's board from 2012 to 2014, would sometimes video-conference into Cisco meetings from Hawaii while exercising in a tanktop on an elliptical, Bloomberg's Nico Grant reported on Thursday.

That behavior scandalized some of the board's other members, according to the report. Ultimately, Benioff didn't stand for relection after serving a single term on Cisco's board.

Read more: A Hawaiian war god statue that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff bought for $7 million and donated to a museum could be a Tiki bar tchotchke worth just $5,000

While his tenure at Cisco ended swiftly, Benioff's love for Hawaii lives on. 

On Thursday morning, the San Francisco billionaire and island enthusiast shared photos of himself with the staff of Hawaii's Bishop Museum, along with a carving that Benioff donated to the museum after buying it at auction for $7.5 million.

The piece is supposed to be a rare carving of the Hawaiian war god Ku. However, its authenticity has since been called into question with some experts suggesting that its true value is closer to $5,000.

Salesforce or Cisco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

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