Irish entrepreneur and founder of Web Summit, Paddy Cosgrave, speaks during the first day of the Web Summit Rio 2023 at the RioCentro Expo Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 1, 2023. (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP)
Paddy Cosgrave, the co-founder and CEO of Web Summit, has recently announced his resignation following a storm of controversy sparked by his comments on Israel's actions in response to attacks by Hamas, Aljazeera reports.
These remarks on social media platform X led to prominent tech giants, including Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., withdrawing their participation from the upcoming Web Summit conference.
Cosgrave's exit comes just weeks before the conference's scheduled launch on November 13 in Lisbon, Portugal.
What Happened?
Cosgrave, who co-founded Web Summit in 2009, expressed his personal views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, igniting a firestorm of controversy.
He took to X (formerly Twitter) on October 13, stating, "I'm shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments, with the exception in particular of Ireland's government, who for once are doing the right thing. War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are."
Two days later, Cosgrave expanded his statement to condemn Hamas's attacks on Israel, labeling them as "outrageous," "disgusting," and "an act of monstrous evil."
He further emphasized, "Israel has a right to defend itself, but it does not, as I have already stated, have a right to break international law."
Cosgrave's comments quickly stirred up a heated debate, leading to a cascade of high-profile attendees and sponsors, such as Alphabet's Google, Meta, Amazon, Intel, Siemens, Stripe, and various venture capitalists, canceling their participation.
Bloomberg reports that a group of Israeli investors even issued a joint statement calling for a boycott of the event, amplifying the controversy surrounding the conference.
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Cosgrave Issues Apology
In response to the escalating crisis, Cosgrave issued an apology on Web Summit's blog, acknowledging that the timing and content of his comments had "caused profound hurt." He stated, "What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that."
Nevertheless, the damage was done, and the fallout was significant. Despite Cosgrave's recent assurance that Web Summit had sufficient funds to continue for at least two years, the pressure and backlash continued to mount.
Consequently, Cosgrave announced his resignation, citing his comments as a "distraction" from the event, its team, sponsors, startups, and attendees.
What's Next?
Web Summit organizers have vowed to appoint a new CEO as soon as possible to lead the conference going forward.
The 2023 Web Summit, which has grown to become Europe's largest tech gathering with over 70,000 attendees in the previous year, will proceed as planned, with a focus on innovation and technology, despite this unexpected change in leadership.
This episode marks a critical turning point for Web Summit as it grapples with the aftermath of its co-founder's comments and the subsequent fallout.
Stay posted here at Tech Times.
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