Coldplay concert row: Astronomer's new CEO to get whopping salary after Andy Byron's resignation? Here's the truth
Synopsis Andy Byron, former Astronomer CEO, resigned after a 'kiss cam' incident at a Coldplay concert sparked controversy regarding his relationship with the company's HR chief. Astronomer's board of directors has accepted Byron's resignation and initiated a search for a new CEO, with co-founder Pete DeJoy serving as interim CEO. Is Astronomer hiring a new CEO and will Andy Byron's replacement get a whopping salary? Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron found himself at the center of a big controversy, apparently unintended, after appearing on a stadium jumbotron embracing his company's HR chief. Footage rocketing across social media appears to show Andy Byron in a romantic clutch with his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, at a recent Coldplay concert, sparking speculation about their relationship.
ADVERTISEMENT "Oh, look at these two," Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin said as the camera caught the embracing pair, who quickly separated when their image was beamed on the big screen to tens of thousands of fans enjoying the show.
"All right, come on, you're OK," Martin continued. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."
Andy Byron resigned from the position of Astronomer CEO after the Coldplay 'kiss cam' controversy. A representative for Astronomer said on Saturday that Byron had failed to meet the company's standards in "conduct and accountability." "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted," the representative added.
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On Saturday, Astronomer announced that Andy Byron has resigned and the Board of Directors is looking for a new CEO. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO,' the company said in a LinkedIn post.
ADVERTISEMENT 'Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. We're continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems,' the statement further read.Tech-AI firm Astronomer which has $1.3 billion data infrastructure is yet to give the details of the job, details of the job, including the compensation package. But speculations are rife that Byron's successor is expected to bag a whopping salary.
ADVERTISEMENT ALSO READ: Could ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron sue Coldplay after kiss cam controversy? Check details
According to a report in Hindustan Times, a fake job post has gone viral on social media earlier this week which stated that the new CEO will receive base salary ranging from $469,000 to $690,000 annually. But, Astronomer is yet to confirm the details and has not reacted to the claims. The Daily Mail reported that Andy Byron's net worth is worth approximately $60 million. He also reportedly owns a stake in the company. His net worth is driven largely by his equity stake in Astronomer, which recently raised $93 million in Series D funding in May 2025.
ADVERTISEMENT As CEO, Byron likely owns between 1% and 5% of the company, putting the value of his stake at $12 million to $65 million, not including salary, bonuses, and past earnings from senior roles at Cybereason, Lacework, and Fuze.
According to Kruze Consulting, the average salary for a US startup CEO is around $161,000, but the range can vary significantly based on factors like funding stage, location, and experience.
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