Match was getting ready for its initial public offering of its popular Tinder app stock, which was expected to sell high and well. Then for reasons no one can quite fathom; Sean Rad, Tinder’s CEO gave an interview to the Evening Standard that caused the company embarrassment and negatively impacted the launch.
The fall out had to do with incorrect numbers that Rad gave regarding the number of users it has and swipes the app receives each day; which were apparently inflated and had to be corrected by the parent company, Match. But even more troubling were the comments Rad made about his own sexual exploits, such as the number of times he has had sex, his age when he lost his virginity, and comments about a super model who has been “begging” him for sex–my personal favorite by the way. The real kicker, a female Vice President of Communications for Tinder was by his side throughout the interview.
There is a lot of confusion about how such an interview was allowed to take place, the behavior of the CEO who was let go once before and rehired by the company, and the fact that such interviews are basically prohibited before IPO’s. Match is working to distance themselves from their employee and his statements and incorrect numbers and they seem to be ignoring the completely off the wall personal comments.
If one looks closely, they will note the cautionary tale this story holds. Rad is a “successful” CEO of a very popular and lucrative app—yet his attitude about and behavior towards women harkens back to the dark ages, or the eighth grade. This is kissing and telling on a huge scale—how would you like to meet a guy on Tinder, decide to have a fling or even to suggest one—then have the whole conversation or experience broadcast to whoever wants to tune in. Yikes.
It’s probably even more important today than ever to practice caution and discretion. If someone wants to, they can expose your very private thoughts and behaviors without you even knowing it. Technology has left us exposed in ways we could not have anticipated and the dark side is indeed a huge concern.
No matter how cute, charming, well-spoken and/or successful he may appear—this guy could be the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Remember those childhood fairy tales that warned you about this kind of thing? They have a timeless and universal appeal for good reason. Only now, the danger is not just a problem in one-dimensional real time. Be careful.
