Web Summit Founder And CEO Paddy Cosgrave Resigns After Controversy Of Israel-Hamas Conflict Comments

ddy Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit, finally resigned on Saturday, October 21, after making comments about the Israeli-Hamas conflict that sparked a number of technology companies and investors to withdraw their plans to attend the Web Summit conference in Portugal next month.

"With regret, my personal comments have been a nuisance to the event, and our team, sponsors, startups, and the people present," Cosgrave said in a statement. "To be honest, I apologize again for any hurt that I have caused."

Web Summit, which organizes one of the largest technology conferences in the world every year, will appoint a new CEO as soon as possible. This was said by the company's spokesperson in a statement sent via email. He added that the 2023 Web Summit in Lisbon would still be implemented as planned.

According to a Bloomberg report on Friday, October 20, Google and Meta Platforms Inc, as well as several other technology companies including Intel Corp and Siemens AG, decided not to participate in the event. The congress is scheduled to take place from November 13-16.

Cosgrave was criticized after a post on social media platform X on October 13, referring to Israel's response to Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7.

To repeat: War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies & should be called out for what they are.I will not relent.

— Paddy Cosgrave (@paddycosgrave) October 16, 2023

To reply: War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies & should be called out for what they are.I will not release.

"War crimes remain a war crime, even when committed by allies, and must be called as they are," the post wrote. A few days later, on Tuesday, October 17 he apologized for his comments. But until now Cosgrave remains the majority shareholder on Web Summit.