Paddy Cosgrave, the founder and CEO of Web Summit, Europe’s largest tech conference, resigned following a controversy surrounding his comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict. This move comes after major companies withdrew their support for the upcoming Web Summit event in Lisbon.
Paddy Cosgrave Faces Backlash
Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder of Web Summit, faced criticism for remarks he made regarding Western support for Israel’s response to a Hamas attack. His comments, which he later apologized for, led to a withdrawal of support from key sponsors.
Major Companies Withdraw
Several prominent companies, including Meta, Google, Intel, Siemens, and Amazon, announced their decision to boycott the Web Summit event in response to Paddy Cosgrave’s controversial statements. The withdrawal of these major sponsors and headliners prompted Cosgrave’s resignation.
Cosgrave’s Apology
In an attempt to address the growing controversy, Cosgrave issued an apology, condemning Hamas’ actions and expressing support for Israel’s right to defend itself. However, the apology failed to prevent the withdrawal of key sponsors.
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