When Dan Price, the CEO of the payments company he controlled, announced in 2015 that all employees would get a minimum compensation of $70,000, he became known as the epitome of corporate greed. He said that he had reduced his own compensation as CEO by 90% in order to achieve this.
After being accused of wrongdoing, sexual assault, and other crimes, Dan Price told the company he started in college on Wednesday that he would no longer work there.
Along with the news that Price was leaving Gravity Payments, a shocking article from the New York Times was made public. The article said that Dan Price used social media to make himself look like a supporter of higher pay while hiding “a pattern of abuse in his personal life and hostile behavior at his company.”
A 27-year-old model and artist told The Times that her three-month relationship with Price ended when she accused Price of rape. The charges against Price, who is 38, have been thrown out, and Palm Springs, California, police told the New York Times that they had suggested that the victim be charged with rape while high on drugs.
Five more women, including four who gave on-the-record interviews, accused the man of abusing them physically and sexually for ten years, according to The Times. Price announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he would leave Gravity Payments and devote all of his attention to fighting the false accusations made against him. CNN Business contacted Price and Gravity Payments for comments, but neither organization responded.
In a later tweet on Wednesday, Price listed the benefits and rights he gives his employees, such as unlimited paid time off and 401(k) match plans.
Dan Price has previously been accused of abuse.
According to the Times article, Price was actively pursuing women online with tweets such as “A male president was so angry he lost that he incited a mob against the U.S. Capitol, ” claiming that he hurt them physically and emotionally. The phrase “women are too emotional to be president” should never be used again. “
Price has already been the target of allegations of abuse. After the prosecution claimed that he had forcibly kissed a woman during a business dinner meeting and then taken her to a parking lot where he engaged in risky driving maneuvers while she was inside, he was detained earlier this year in Seattle on suspicion of fourth-degree assault and reckless driving. According to the Seattle Times, Price has entered a not guilty plea and will stand trial in October.
According to the New York Times article, Price’s ex-wife, Kristie Colón, allegedly said that her ex-husband beat and waterboarded her at a TEDx Talk that was taped at the University of Kentucky in 2015, the same year he gained notoriety. However, these charges have also been refuted by Price.
In the end, it’s possible that Price wasn’t the only person who tweeted in favor of his team and the women. According to The New York Times, most of his social media posts were written by seasoned real estate journalist Mike Rosenberg.
After being accused of sending sexually explicit communications, Rosenberg left The Seattle Times in 2019. Rosenberg, who did not answer when CNN Business tried to reach him, said that the contacts were not meant for the receiver.
