Alphabet Chief Legal Officer David Drummond to Retire Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe
Drummond, who made more than $47 million last year, has been embroiled in controversy since he was accused of sexual misconduct while serving as the general counsel of Google.
January 10, 2020 at 02:19 PM
4 minute read
David Drummond. Photo: Google
Alphabet Inc. chief legal officer David Drummond is stepping down at the end of the month after unloading millions in stock. His departure comes amid an internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Google parent company notified the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that Drummond is retiring, effective Jan. 31. His departure follows the exits of Alphabet co-founders Larry Page, who served as CEO, and Sergey Brin, who was president, in early December.
Alphabet representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Mountain View, California-based firm has not named Drummond's successor.
Drummond won't receive an exit package, according to Forbes, which reportedly obtained an internal memo that Drummond sent to colleagues.
"With Larry and Sergey now leaving their executive roles at Alphabet, the company is entering an exciting new phase, and I believe that it's also the right time for me to make way for the next generation of leaders," Drummond wrote. "As a result, after careful consideration, I have decided to retire at the end of this month."
Last month, Drummond raised eyebrows by unloading $145 million in Alphabet stock before Page and Brin stepped down.
He sold $72 million and $73 million of stock in early November and Dec. 2, respectively. At the time, an analyst noted that Drummond's insider transactions filings showed that he routinely received stock options and automatically sold the same shares of stock.
Drummond, who made more than $47 million last year, has been embroiled in controversy since he was accused of sexual misconduct while serving as the general counsel of Google in New York.
He has acknowledged that he had an affair in the mid-2000s with Jennifer Blakely, a senior contracts manager in the legal department. Blakely said she was forced out of her job after she became pregnant with Drummond's child and management found out about the affair.
After Blakely spoke out earlier this year, Drummond said in a written statement, "Jennifer and I had a difficult break-up 10 years ago. I am far from perfect and I regret that."
He asserted that he "never started a relationship with anyone else who was working at Google or Alphabet. Any suggestion otherwise is simply untrue."
Blakely went public with details about her affair with Drummond last August. Days later, Drummond married an employee in Google's legal department, according to reports from multiple outlets, including CNBC and Axios.
In response to shareholder claims related to workplace misconduct, Alphabet's board of directors has been investigating sexual misconduct allegations involving current and former executives, including Drummond, according to The New York Times.
Read More:
Despite Sexual Misconduct Report, Alphabet's Chief Legal Officer Earned $47M in 2018
Google In-House Lawyers Have Hands Full of Legal Issues and Labor Turmoil
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