‘My behaviour in the video is appalling’: Silicon Valley CEO apologises to Asian family after his racist remarks go viral

'This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments,' tech CEO Michael Lofthouse says

A Silicon Valley tech CEO has issued an apology to an Asian-American family after he verbally abused them while out at a restaurant.

Michael Lofthouse, a UK-born founder of tech company Solid8, was filmed on Saturday telling an family that “Trump is gonna f*** you,” when they were dining at Lucia Restaurant & Bar in Carmel Valley, California.

The viral moment was captured by Jordan Chan’s family while they were celebrating a family member’s birthday and later shared on Instagram.

In a statement made to ABC7 and other news outlets, Mr Lofthouse apologised for his behaviour and called it “appalling”.

“My behaviour in the video is appalling,” the statement read. “This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments. I would like to deeply apologise to the Chan family. I can only imagine the stress and pain they feel. I was taught to respect people of all race and I will take the time to reflect on my actions and work to better understand the inequality that so many of those around me face every day.”

Ms Chan’s uncle Raymond Oroso told the news station that he doesn’t accept the apology. “He’s just saving face. I think he really meant what he said and what he did,” he said.

The altercation started with Mr Lofthouse yelling racial remarks at the Chan family from a table nearby.

In the video, someone is heard telling Mr Lofthouse to say what he said again while on camera. He is instead filmed flipping off the camera.

Later in the video he is heard saying, “Trump’s gonna f*** you” and “You f***ers need to leave... f***ing Asian piece of s***.”

A waitress told the man to leave, calling the Chan family “valued guests”. “You are not allowed here ever again,” she said.

Mr Lofthouse sarcastically responded: “Oh are they? Valued guests in America?”

The family remained unconvinced Mr Lofthouse’s apology was sincere, specifically after messages from what appeared to be his social media account responded to people criticising him after the video went viral.

A man named Ahmed Omer messaged the man on social media, calling him a “trash human being”. Someone who appeared to be Mr Lofthouse responded and told the man to “leave our planet” while calling him an “Asian f***” who should not “come near me or my people and u r f***ing dead.”

The Independent has not independently verified if the messages came from Mr Lofthouse or an account posing as the man.

“I’ve dealt with racism before but never on that scale,” Ms Chan told KPIX 5 after the incident. “Never on the level where somebody completely unprovoked felt obligated to voice their hatred for absolutely no reason.”

Sean Damery, the regional vice president of Bernardus Lodge & Spa, confirmed to The Independent that Mr Lofthouse was not a guest at the hotel.

“This is an extremely unfortunate situation, however we are proud of our staff at Lucia in keeping with Bernardus Lodge’s core values; this incident was handled swiftly and the diner was escorted off property without further escalation,” he said. ”We provide guests with a safe environment for lodging and dining; and extend our sincere apologies to the guests enjoying a birthday celebration on a holiday weekend.”

The Independent has contacted Mr Lofthouse for comment.