Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X/Twitter)
Musk made headlines for all the wrong reasons—his feud with Mark Zuckerberg, attacks on Sam Altman and Bill Gates, and vocal support for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. His controversial leadership at X/Twitter and growing influence in U.S. politics raised concerns.
Sam Altman (OpenAI)
After being ousted and reinstated as OpenAI’s CEO, Altman faced criticism for turning the company into a for-profit entity. Allegations of ethical lapses and the tragic suicide of a former employee further damaged his reputation.
Sundar Pichai (Alphabet/Google)
Google’s AI missteps with Bard and Gemini, coupled with mass layoffs and his massive paycheck, put Pichai under fire. Rumors of his potential ousting only added to his troubles.
Pavel Durov (Telegram)
The elusive Telegram CEO was arrested in France on charges of facilitating illegal activities through his platform. Released on bail, he continues to face scrutiny over his company’s stance on privacy and regulation.
Changpeng Zhao (Binance)
The Binance CEO was sentenced to four months in jail over money laundering charges. His crypto empire was accused of enabling illicit financial activities, leading to a $4.3 billion fine.
Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX)
Once a crypto prodigy, SBF was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and money laundering, marking one of the biggest financial scandals in recent years.
Brian Niccole (Starbucks)
Starbucks’ CEO faced backlash for his extravagant work commute via private jet, contradicting the company’s sustainability goals.
Steve Cahillane (Kellogg’s)
Cahillane’s tone-deaf suggestion that struggling families should eat cereals for dinner to save money sparked widespread criticism.
Bhavish Aggarwal (Ola) & Aadit Palicha (Zepto)
Both were slammed for promoting toxic work cultures, advocating long work hours, and disregarding employee well-being. Aggarwal’s public spats and Ola’s EV safety issues further fueled criticism.
From political entanglements to corporate scandals, these CEOs defined 2024’s biggest controversies.
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