The article discusses remarks Uber executive Emil Michael made. He said that Uber should consider hiring a team of opposition researchers to dig up dirt on its critics in the media — and specifically to spread details of the personal life of a female journalist who has criticized the company.
The executive later attempted to repudiate his remarks by saying
“The remarks attributed to me at a private
dinner — borne out of frustration during an
informal debate over what I feel is
sensationalistic media coverage of the
company I am proud to work for — do not
reflect my actual views and have no relation
to the company’s views or approach. They were
wrong no matter the circumstance and
I regret them.”
Kinda reminds me of an earlier period of US history, when a US President nicknamed Tricky Dick famously said: "We can do that, but it would be wrong." History does not record whether Dick was winking when he said that.
It's unfortunate that we have little way to tell. Now it's "trial by media" and we can't even fully trust anyone who was present at the moment of utterance.
When it concerns a CEO with the amount of information/power that he has, I'd say that the standard should be even higher. And I think he clearly went too far. Frustration doesn't excuse it.
That many years. At least.