July 21, 2025
There’s a certain schadenfreude associated with this. Here’s a takedown of the ‘haves’ versus the ‘have nots.’
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor of management at Yale University, to The Wall Street Journal, after a CEO resigned when he was caught canoodling on camera at a Coldplay concert with a woman who was not his wife.
schadenfreude: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others (Merriam-Webster)
Why It Matters: There are viral moments … and then there are viral moments that become the #1 top trending item on Google in the United States – which is what happened Thursday to Astronomer’s CEO and the company’s Human Resource leader, according to the WSJ.
“Because of the risks associated with such clandestine relationships, corporate boards are less tolerant today of executive romances than they once were. McDonald’s in 2019 fired then-CEO Steve Easterbrook because of his consensual relationship with an employee. BP CEO Bernard Looney resigned in 2023 after the oil giant said he hadn’t been fully transparent about past personal relationships with colleagues. And last year, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was fired after a board probe found that his relationship with the railroad giant’s chief legal officer violated company policies.
None of those incidents, though, sparked the glee and gloating that the video of the Astronomer CEO and his HR chief have generated.”
Learn More:
- Coldplay, a Viral Kiss-Cam Moment—and a CEO’s Abrupt Resignation (Wall Street Journal)
Image Credit: annaleemedia / erickadesouza for Coldplay
by Jenna Lee, Founder of SmartHER News
