Ethan Evans, a retired Vice President at Amazon, recently shared a shocking personal experience in a LinkedIn post and his Level Up newsletter. Evans revealed that a CEO of a startup where he once worked seduced his wife, leading to his divorce. This incident, which occurred 19 years ago, is described as a direct retaliation for Evans pushing back against the CEO’s leadership.
Evans, who spent over 15 years at Amazon and eventually became the VP of Prime Gaming, explained that his marriage was already troubled, acknowledging that the CEO’s actions wouldn’t have succeeded if his wife hadn’t been open to the proposition. However, he emphasized that the CEO’s behavior exemplified the “manipulative and unethical” leaders he encountered throughout his career.
Although Evans didn’t name the CEO, his LinkedIn comment provided a timeline, leading internet sleuths to identify the CEO as likely being from Lightningcast, a startup where Evans served as VP of Engineering. Despite speculations, Evans clarified that he was not referring to Jeff Bezos, noting that the CEO in question led a startup, not a corporate giant like Amazon.
Evans shared this painful experience to offer advice on navigating “political snake pits” and unethical leaders in the workplace, hoping others could learn from his past mistakes. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities of professional and personal boundaries, and the potential consequences of workplace conflicts.
