> When news broke of Mr. Altman’s firing on Nov. 17, a text landed in a private WhatsApp group of more than 100 chief executives of Silicon Valley companies, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Dropbox’s Drew Houston.
I never imagined CEOs kept up with gossip in a large Whatsapp group. Is this how they've all been coordinating RTO mandates?
I’ve been joking with friends and colleagues about this for years (although in my mind, it was Twitter DMs, or a newsletter).
The fact that CEOs talk to each other has been plainly obvious to me for quite some time. Every single instance of coordination can always be explained away, but the pattern seems rather clear when you take a step back and look at the broader context.
I don't understand how this doesn't open them up to massive liability but it's sort of an open secret that collusion is only illegal if you fall out of favor with the government these days.
Because in the US they'll counter with 'freedom of speech', which is correct. they are allowed to talk to each other, but not allowed to collude. The state just can't yell 'collusion', they have to gather evidence for that.
I'm not saying they aren't colluding, because by their behaviors it seems like they are, I'm just saying it is much much harder to prove.
I guess I never would have imagined it either until a past CEO of mine shared that he was a part of one. I can’t recall if I was surprised or not. It seems kind of obvious once you know, I guess?
It seriously rubs me the wrong way. The way it surfaced was in a discussion about money. I foolishly admitted I don’t really want much money and if I was exceptionally wealthy, I would have to quit development in order to find ways to use my wealth constructively in my community.
This was a disturbing concept. He relayed anecdotes from the WhatsApp group in which various absurdly wealthy people discuss the need to have more wealth, in some form or another. To him this wasn’t a sign of illness or anything, it was evidence that we all in fact should pursue wealth. Because look, even this billionaire does. Very surreal. Despite that, one of the best bosses I’ve had.
> I never imagined CEOs kept up with gossip in a large Whatsapp group. Is this how they've all been coordinating RTO mandates?
Bing-fucking-o. Now we know where the illegal collusion happens. I’d bet serious money RTO and a whole lot of other more important policies are hashed out in that.
Lest we forget when Steve Jobs was calling people up to hold down salaries.
I never imagined CEOs kept up with gossip in a large Whatsapp group. Is this how they've all been coordinating RTO mandates?