Did you read the article? Google took longer than 30 days to close the deal, and their term sheet with Mangrove was about to expire.
He had no choice but to accept the VC funding.
He had no choice but to accept the VC funding.
My main point is for those going forward: unless the equity you stand to convert into your own personal wealth is insignificant to you, an exit can't really stop your career for long but it also just might be the only chance you get.
Maybe the Google deal wasn't a sure thing but whether or not they could pay was not a question.