KISS CAM ON AIR, ASTRONOMER CEO FALLS IN FRONT OF THE WORLD: THE SPIRAL OF LOVE – MONEY – POWER IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD OF SILICON VALLEY
Los Angeles, July 20, 2025 – A moment that seemed to be just for entertainment at a Coldplay concert unexpectedly became a fatal blow to one of the most powerful CEOs in the technology world: Andy Byron, head of the astronomy data company Astronomer – valued at nearly $9 billion – was captured sitting intimately with a woman on a “kiss cam”, amid the cheers of thousands of spectators at the Rose Bowl stadium.
But things didn’t stop at being awkward.
Because the woman next to him is not his wife, but Kristin Cabot, the Chief of People at the company he runs.
7-second clip, many years of consequences
The 7-second video recorded the two turning to each other in confusion, Byron giving a forced smile, while Cabot awkwardly glanced around, before both refused to kiss – a reaction that made the surrounding seats burst into laughter.
But after the video went viral on TikTok with more than 22 million views in just 24 hours, netizens quickly searched for the identities of the mysterious lovers.
And when information about the two characters – both senior leaders, with their own families – was confirmed, the media and investors began to be shocked.
That night, Astronomer’s shares on the NYSE lost 8% of their value after trading hours. A night later, the hashtag #KissCamCEO reached the top 1 trending globally.
“This is not a showbiz scandal – this is a corporate culture crisis”
“The scary thing is not their personal lives, but the power relationship between the CEO and the HR director – a sensitive structure that can affect the entire internal fairness policy,” said a crisis management expert. Kristin Cabot, who is known to have drafted and overseen Astronomer’s Code of Conduct, is now facing criticism from both internally and the global HR community.
On the morning of July 22, Astronomer sent an urgent email to employees, affirming that “an internal investigation is being launched to assess the transparency and integrity of leadership behavior”.
Byron resigns, Cabot “on indefinite leave”
Just three days after the clip was made public, Andy Byron announced his resignation in a 137-word statement. “I believe Astronomer deserves a leader who can give his full attention without being distracted by personal stories,” he wrote. While he did not admit wrongdoing, it was clear that the decision to resign was the only way to save the company’s reputation.
Kristin Cabot was later confirmed to have taken an “indefinite leave of absence,” amid a growing wave of demands for transparency. According to the New York Times, several former employees spoke anonymously about the “culture of silence” at the company for years, where personal relationships between leaders were rumored but no one dared to question it.
When personal life becomes a weakness of power
This “kiss cam” scandal is not simply about a CEO getting into a personal scandal. It touches on a deeper level: the limits between power and ethics, privacy and public responsibility, especially in the startup environment, where the image of leadership is closely tied to the brand.
The incident also raised a debate: in a world where cameras can appear in every corner, does the privacy of celebrities – especially those who run large businesses – still exist in a meaningful way?
