After Coldplay affair scandal, ex-employee accuses Andy Byron of ruining careers and cashing out: 'Karma will get to you'
Ex-employee goes off at Andy Byron in a brutal TikTok takedown
In a now-viral TikTok, a former employee of Andy Byron spoke out and shared his personal experience. They opened the video by saying, 'If you think his marriage is the only thing Andy Byron ran into the ground, I've got a funny story about karma for you,' revealing a scathing account of his time as an executive at a previous software company.
The ex-employee explained that Byron, then serving as chief revenue officer, made bold promises to potential hires. 'He told us we were building the next big thing in tech,' they said. 'He made it sound like we were all getting in on something huge—a no-brainer opportunity. A lot of us joined based on what he said. Some even invested their savings into company stock.'
According to the video, Byron painted a glowing picture for both employees and investors, encouraging them to believe in long-term success. But when the company eventually collapsed and was sold off for far less than expected, it was the lower-level employees who took the biggest financial hit. 'He walked away with millions while the rest of us lost tens of thousands,' the former employee said.
They also brought up the now-infamous Coldplay concert moment, using it as an example of Byron's persuasive charm. 'The same way he convinced his own Chief People Officer to go to that concert with him—that's how convincing he was with all of us. He knew how to sell a story.'
The video ended with a dry, sarcastic sign-off: 'Sometimes that Karma is called Chris Martin of Coldplay. Viva la vida.'
Reddit users react to the claims
The TikTok quickly made its way to Reddit, where users had mixed reactions. While many Redditors agreed that Andy's career has definitely been suspicious, many added that investing in startups is a risky business to begin with.
One user wrote, "Yeah, this whole mess and the recent Titan submersible documentary have really cemented that your average CEO or admin official is there for their sociopathic tendencies. Intelligence is rarely a factor."
"I feel for the guy, but we can't depend on karma for this shit; there are plenty of rich arseholes who die of old age in billion-dollar houses and are treated to the best medical care on Earth.
We have justice systems to ensure justice in a world without karma or other supernatural means of balancing scales or punishing wrongdoing, and they need to be better," another said.
A third person noted, "Okay, the CEO guy sucks as well as his actions here… But why the fuck would you put your life savings into stock options of a company you work for?? Some money, sure… but life savings?"
"Eh, this is the same with any stock. I wouldn't call this a scandal," another shared.
Andy Byron officially steps down as CEO
Just hours after Astronomer confirmed Byron was suspended over the Coldplay incident, a spokesperson announced he has now officially stepped down from his role as CEO.
Whether that's the end of the fallout remains to be seen, but with the internet watching and more people speaking up, Andy's professional woes (and personal, of course) seem far from over.
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