CEO attempts to backtrack on anti-Israel remarks following investor backlash
Andrew Dudum, CEO of Hims & Hers, faces backlash for supporting college protests favoring a terrorist organization, causing a substantial stock drop. Amid criticism, his attempt to clarify misinterpreted statements falls short of an apology. Investors and critics express disappointment as Dudum’s reputation takes a hit, highlighting the risks for CEOs in today’s divisive climate. Andrew Dudum, the CEO of Hims & Hers, is under fire for backing college protests in support of a terrorist group, leading to a significant drop in the company’s stock value. Despite trying to explain his remarks, Dudum’s response lacks an apology. This incident underscores the challenges faced by CEOs in navigating sensitive issues in a polarized environment.
By Allison Anton May 6, 2024 at 9:45am
On this week’s installment of “play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” a woke CEO has been forced to apologize after his ill-advised post on the social media platform X threatened his bottom line.
Andrew Dudum, founder of the health and wellness company Hims & Hers, got himself into hot water on Wednesday when he posted in support of the useless college students ruining everyone else’s graduation plans by protesting in favor of a terrorist organization.
Dudum declared Thursday on X that “Moral courage> College degree,” and then offered encouragement to those blights on society.
“If you’re currently protesting against the genocide of the Palestinian people & for your university’s divestment from Israel, keep going. It’s working,” he said.
Dudum then proclaimed, “There are plenty of companies & CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline,” adding a link to the Hims & Hers job application page.
Moral courage> College degree
If you’re currently protesting against the genocide of the Palestinian people & for your university’s divestment from Israel, keep going. It’s working.
There are plenty of companies & CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline.…
— andrewdudum (@AndrewDudum) May 1, 2024
Needless to say, he was eviscerated in the comments — but, worse still, his poorly thought-out PR move ended up tanking the company’s stock.
His & Hers lost nearly $210 million in stock value in a single day Friday, according to the New York Post.
Therefore, on Sunday, Dudum returned to X to try to stop the bleeding.
In the first post in his thread, he said he’d “like to clarify a few things because my words have been misconstrued by some.”
The last few days have been a disheartening reflection of just how divisive a time we live in. I’d like to clarify a few things because my words have been misconstrued by some.
— andrewdudum (@AndrewDudum) May 5, 2024
“Misconstrued,” huh?
No, people understood exactly what he was trying to say — and that was the whole problem.
That inconvenient fact notwithstanding, Dudum pressed on, saying, “I, in no way condone nor support acts or threats of violence, antisemitism, or intimidation and there is absolutely no justification for violence on our campuses. … I am deeply saddened that my support for peaceful protest has been interpreted by some as encouraging violence, intimidation, or bigotry of any kind.”
I, in no way condone nor support acts or threats of violence, antisemitism, or intimidation and there is absolutely no justification for violence on our campuses. Every student deserves to feel safe without fear of harm or being targeted for who they are. I am deeply saddened…
— andrewdudum (@AndrewDudum) May 5, 2024
Many of the anti-Israel protests on college campuses have been anything but “peaceful.”
They might have not involved gunfire or knives, but demonstrators have tussled with the police, beaten a young Jewish woman unconscious and shouted anti-Semitic slogans with such violence and venom that Jewish students have left campus in fear for their lives.
From the start, Dudum came across as incredibly disingenuous, but he wasn’t finished.
The Hims & Hers CEO said that “the right for people to use their voices in peaceful protest to drive change … is critical to our democracy and must be protected. Our world today is more just because students throughout history have courageously taken to their campuses and used their voices to force change.”
Further, he said, as “a father whose children are both the descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948, and the descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland, as I have previously shared, I have a personal appreciation for the different perspectives people have which I live with daily at my dinner table.”
As a father whose children are both the descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948, and the descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland, as I have previously shared, I have a personal appreciation for the different perspectives people have which I live with…
— andrewdudum (@AndrewDudum) May 5, 2024
Dudum ended his thread by saying, “I hope and pray for peace and for an end to violence everywhere.”
There was one essential thing missing from his “apology.”
Namely, any permutation of the words “I’m sorry.”
Of course, the good folks on X were quick to notice.
Phil Kerpen, president of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, shared the original post and the “apology” with the caption, “Evil Andy before his stock got crushed versus after.”
Evil Andy before his stock got crushed versus after: https://t.co/Buky1tHdBc pic.twitter.com/2iwFV7vxmF
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) May 6, 2024
Others also commented on Dudum’s posts.
“Geeze, my company stock crashed and my financial partners are really mad I’m okay with college campus calls for dead Jews. So, who wants a Bud Light?” https://t.co/ikPZTHp8YW pic.twitter.com/WinF4buQj9
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 6, 2024
Translation: @andrewdudum is a hateful anti-semite and his company is getting crushed for his therefore he is losing money and while he still hates Jews he would like to continue to make money as if he doesn’t. https://t.co/UrQtY2eQw6
— DistrictAI (@districtai) May 6, 2024
I said a ridiculous thing and now I’m going to spin it even though my ridiculous “genocide” post is still visible. Yes I wanted to encourage the terrorist supporters, but didn’t want that to affect my company’s stock price…
OK buddy. https://t.co/bsTJqZpOo0 pic.twitter.com/Ib0dUWwBZz
— Atticus Franklin (@AtticusFranklin) May 6, 2024
Morning. Looks like his shareholders cornered him in a slow elevator with pitchforks over the weekend. https://t.co/sB953GrmPY pic.twitter.com/hwGCIBqiFg
— Deebs (@DeebsFLA) May 6, 2024
Let it not pass without mentioning that Dudum disabled the comments on his half-hearted “apology.”
Clearly, he only backpedaled because the stock of his company had fallen catastrophically.
Dudum just couldn’t bring himself to denounce the anti-Semitism of the college protesters or even express remorse.
Hillary Clinton has delivered more convincing phony apologies than this.
His posts were a transparent attempt at damage control with no real reflection or contrition.
In other words, they were just what people have come to expect from woke CEOs who accidentally say the quiet part out loud.
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