March 14, 2019

SumOfUs Says Rewarding $150m Exit Package to a Sexual Abuser Shows Poor Judgement, Sends the Wrong Signal to Employees

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA -- Google employees’ outrage is resurfacing after a new shareholder lawsuit that shows the Google parent company, Alphabet, paid up to $135 million in exit packages to Henry Rubin and Amit Singhal, two executives at the company who were accused of sexual misconduct.

The lawsuit alleges that Larry Page, CEO of Alphabet, bypassed the company’s Board of Directors to personally offer Rubin a $150 million exit package while he was under investigation. The investigation ultimately found the woman's complaint to be credible.

In a statement released today, Jamila Brown, the Communications Director for SumOfUs, an international consumer watchdog, called for Larry Page to step down as CEO of Alphabet:

“Rewarding sexual abusers with multi-million dollar exit packages is offensive, maddening and completely unacceptable. Reports that Alphabet CEO Larry Page did exactly that -- without informing anyone from the Board of Directors -- was a deceitful attempt to sweep sexual abuse under the rug.

“Paying sexual abusers these massive exit packages is more than just wrong; it sends a dangerous signal to employees that such behavior will actually be rewarded. Alphabet employees and shareholders deserve better.

“These actions prove Larry Page lacks the judgment to serve as Alphabet’s CEO. He should resign immediately.”

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SumOfUs.org is a global movement of consumers, investors, and workers all around the world, standing together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable and just path for our global economy.