Latest news with #Byron
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of weekend at Iowa Speedway
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Iowa Speedway after last year's inaugural event. Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney have combined to win 11 of the last 14 short track races. Larson and Hamlin have four wins each during that stretch and Blaney has three, including last year's race at Iowa. Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday's 3:30 p.m. ET race on USA Network. 23XI Racing — Good news: Bubba Wallace snapped his 100-race winless streak with his victory last weekend at Indianapolis. … Wallace's win was the first for 23XI Racing this season. … All four of Wallace's top-five finishes on short tracks in Cup have come in the last seven races. … Riley Herbst, who is making his first Cup start at Iowa, finished second in last year's Xfinity race there. Bad news: Tyler Reddick failed to finish last weekend at Indianapolis, the first time he's not finished a race this year. … Reddick has three top-10 finishes in the last 23 short track races. Dustin Long, Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Todd Gilliland placed sixth at Indianapolis last week, snapping an eight-race streak of finishes outside the top 20. … That finish was Gilliland's best since he scored a sixth-place result at Indy the year before. Bad news: Ryan Bergenty, crew chief for Zane Smith, noted on social media this week that in the final laps at Sonoma, Dover and Indianapolis — the last three races — Smith has lost a total of 51 positions (due to incidents on track). … Noah Gragson has finished 30th or worse in four consecutive races. Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer's 20th-place finish last weekend at Indy is his best result in the last four races. Bad News: Custer has started 20th or worse in 10 of the last 12 races, including the last four. Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Hendrick Motorsports has had at least one car finish in the top 10 in the last 30 races. … Hendrick cars have led 39.5% of the 5,511 laps run this year. … The organization has the top three drivers in the points (Chase Elliott, William Byron and Kyle Larson). … Larson has finished in the top 10 in the last five short track races, tied for his longest streak on short tracks. … Larson's 14 top-10 finishes this season are the most in the series. … While Byron has only one win in his last 50 Cup races, he has six runner-up finishes and six third-place finishes, during that time — meaning he has placed in the top three in 26% of the last 50 races. … Alex Bowman has five top 10s in the last seven races. Bad news: Byron ran out of fuel on the last lap at Indy, the second time since Michigan in June he has run out of fuel before the checkered flag and cost him a top-five finish. … After leading at least a lap in 13 of the first 16 races this season, Byron has not led a lap in the last six races. Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth at Iowa last season. Bad news: Stenhouse has one top-10 finish in the last 11 races. Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin posted the fastest lap last weekend at Indy, the sixth time in 22 races this season he's done that. … Hamlin scored the most points in the four races of July at 155. … Chase Briscoe scored 147 points in the four races of July to rank second in the series for the month. … Hamlin has finished in the top five in the last five short track races. … Briscoe ranks third in speed rating in the last nine races after ranking 19th in the first 13 races of the year. … Briscoe's 10 top-10 finishes this season tie for his most ever in a year. … Ty Gibbs won the $1 million In-Season Challenge last weekend at Indy. … Christopher Bell finished fourth at Iowa last year after starting in the rear in a backup car after a crash in practice. Bad news: Bell has finished 16th or worse in five of the last eight races. Kaulig Racing — Good news: The organization has had a car finish in the top 20 in eight of the last 10 races. Bad news: Ty Dillon's 28th-place finish snapped his streak of four consecutive top-20 finishes. … Dillon has never finished better than 13th in 38 Cup short track races. … AJ Allmendinger has one top-20 finish in his last 11 short track starts. Legacy Motor Club — Good news: John Hunter Nemechek will make his 100th career Cup start this weekend at Iowa. … Five drivers have won in their 100th career Cup start, the most recent is Nemechek's teammate, Erik Jones, who did it in the 2019 Southern 500. … Both Nemechek (eighth) and Jones (ninth) rank in the top 10 in laps completed this season at more than 97%. Bad news: After qualifying third at Indy, Jones saw his race end with a crash after the right front tire wasn't tightened on a pit stop. … Jones' 36th-place finish at Indy marked his fourth race in a row he's placed outside the top 25. … Nemechek has placed outside the top 20 in the last eight Cup short track races. Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch was one of three drivers to take part in a Goodyear tire test at Iowa in June, joining Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe. … Austin Dillon has three top 10s, including a win at Richmond, in the last five short track races. Bad news: While Kyle Busch has 16 Cup short track wins, his last victory at such a track came in 2019. Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware makes his first start in any series at Iowa this weekend. Bad news: Ware finished a season-worst 37th last weekend at Indianapolis. … Ware's seven DNFs ties Ryan Blaney for the most this season. RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski has six top-10 finishes in the last 10 races after not scoring a top-10 result in the first 12 races of the season. … Ryan Preece is coming off a fourth-place finish last weekend at Indy. … Chris Buescher continues to lead the series this season in average starting position at 10.4. Bad news: Buescher, who is on the playoff cutline, has finished outside the top 10 in the last seven short track races. Spire Motorsports — Good news: Carson Hocevar's 10th-place finish at Indy last weekend ended a streak of three consecutive finishes of 30th or worse. … Justin Haley's 11th-place finish was his best result since Homestead in March. … Haley's result at Indy gives him three consecutive top-20 finishes, the first time he's done that this season. Bad news: Michael McDowell has four finishes of 30th or worse in the last eight races. Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney led a race-high 201 laps in winning last year's race at Iowa. … Blaney seeks to become the first driver since 2001-02 to win the first two races at a track (Jeff Gordon won the first two races at Kansas and Kevin Harvick won the first two races at Chicagoland Speedway). … Blaney has five top-10 finishes, including two wins, in his last seven short track races. … Austin Cindric was one of three drivers to take part in a Goodyear tire test at Iowa, joining Chase Briscoe and Kyle Busch. … Cindric has led a career-high 291 laps this season. Bad news: Joey Logano has not finished better than ninth in the last eight races. Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Ross Chastain has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five short track races. … Shane van Gisbergen qualified 11th at Indy, his best qualifying result on an oval in his Cup career. Bad news: Chastain has failed to finish three of the last five races, all due to accidents. … Daniel Suarez has finished 26th or worse in four of the last five races. Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry ranks 11th in the series in laps led with a career-high 169. … Berry started third and finished seventh at Iowa last year. Bad news: Berry has only one top-10 result since his victory at Las Vegas in March.
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Can Andy Byron sue Coldplay? What legal experts say about viral kiss cam scandal
A viral Facebook rumor that Andy Byron is suing Coldplay over the now-infamous 'kiss cam' incident is gaining traction — but legal experts say such a lawsuit is unlikely to succeed. On July 22, Page Six consulted attorney Camron Dowlatshahi of MSD Lawyers, who explained that while a defamation claim is theoretically possible, it would require Byron to prove that Coldplay frontman Chris Martin acted with malice and knowingly mischaracterized Byron's relationship with Kristin Cabot. Dowlatshahi described the potential suit as 'frivolous,' citing a lack of evidence and the backlash Byron has already faced. The speculation began with a viral July 26 Facebook post by content creator Maxim Bady, who incorrectly claimed Yahoo News had reported that Byron was preparing legal documents. In truth, Yahoo had only republished articles from other media outlets analyzing the legal possibilities — not reporting any actual legal action. Despite the misleading post, it gained nearly 120,000 reactions and 25,000 comments. In a separate opinion shared with The Mirror US, Rom Zambrano of West Coast Employment Lawyers echoed Dowlatshahi's stance. He stated Byron has "no grounds" to sue, arguing that Coldplay's use of a kiss cam segment is protected artistic expression. Zambrano added that Byron and Cabot, by engaging in public affection at a live event, waived any right to privacy. The original incident occurred during Coldplay's July 16 concert at Gillette Stadium, where Byron and Cabot — both then-executives at Astronomer — were shown embracing on the kiss cam. Since then, both have resigned, and no official statement has been made by Byron or his legal representatives. As of now, there are no credible reports confirming a lawsuit against Coldplay.
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Meet the Aussie teen hoping to be the youngest to fly around the world
In 2024, a 14-year-old Byron Waller flew around Australia. Now the young pilot has his sights set on conquering the world. The 15-year-old is aiming to become the youngest person ever to fly around the world. The trip begins on August 2 and will be in a four-seat, single-engine aircraft known as a Sling Tsi. Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East and Europe are all on the bucket list. The jam-packed itinerary includes more than 30 countries across seven continents. The longest leg will be a 14-hour journey from California to Hawaii. For Byron, flying has always been a lifeline in a childhood filled with unexplained health challenges. "I missed school, sports, even birthday parties and Christmas because I was always in the hospital or too unwell to get out of bed," he told ACM. "Flying is not just something I love," he said. " It is the one thing that got me going when I was at my worst." Five years ago, Byron's family moved next to the Queensland Children's Hospital after realising they were waiting up to an hour for ambulances to reach their inner city home. He spent nine months in the hospital being treated, and then, a breakthrough with a Crohn's disease diagnosis - an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. "It explained everything, but it also nearly grounded my biggest dream: to become a pilot," he said. "There were days I needed a wheelchair," he said. Bryon described his 2024 trip around Australia was transformational. "It taught me how to be both a pilot and a decision-maker, someone who doesn't just fly the aircraft but also takes full responsibility for every choice made in the cockpit," he said. "I navigated across deserts, coastlines, mountain ranges and remote outback strips." That journey raised money for Queensland's Children's Hospital, which has been pivotal in his recovery. It also connected him with other young people who have encountered health challenges. "I saw the power of aviation," he said. "Whether it was meeting someone at a remote airstrip who shared their own health battles, or getting a message from a young person with Crohn's disease who felt inspired by what I was doing, I started to see flying not just as a personal goal but as a platform to raise awareness, connect, and to show that young people with invisible illnesses and other challenges you can literally rise above them," he said. The two-month trip around the world will no doubt be more arduous. Depending on the weather, it could potentially be even longer. Byron will be under the supervision of the flying instructor the whole way through and will need to carefully manage Crohn's disease. "Each leg has been carefully planned," he said. "I've been working with pilot mentors, aircraft mechanics, flight planners, air traffic authorities and border officials across multiple continents, and the logistics alone are enormous." The journey will raise money for the Mission Aviation Fellowship. "Through this journey, I hope to meet others facing similar struggles in the countries I visit, hear their stories and shine a light on the resilience it takes to keep going and keep showing up," he said. Byron's trip begins on August 2 from Brisbane, and you can follow his route and track progress here and donate to his GoFundMe to support him. As for his long-term goal? To be a commercial airline pilot. In 2024, a 14-year-old Byron Waller flew around Australia. Now the young pilot has his sights set on conquering the world. The 15-year-old is aiming to become the youngest person ever to fly around the world. The trip begins on August 2 and will be in a four-seat, single-engine aircraft known as a Sling Tsi. Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East and Europe are all on the bucket list. The jam-packed itinerary includes more than 30 countries across seven continents. The longest leg will be a 14-hour journey from California to Hawaii. For Byron, flying has always been a lifeline in a childhood filled with unexplained health challenges. "I missed school, sports, even birthday parties and Christmas because I was always in the hospital or too unwell to get out of bed," he told ACM. "Flying is not just something I love," he said. " It is the one thing that got me going when I was at my worst." Five years ago, Byron's family moved next to the Queensland Children's Hospital after realising they were waiting up to an hour for ambulances to reach their inner city home. He spent nine months in the hospital being treated, and then, a breakthrough with a Crohn's disease diagnosis - an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. "It explained everything, but it also nearly grounded my biggest dream: to become a pilot," he said. "There were days I needed a wheelchair," he said. Bryon described his 2024 trip around Australia was transformational. "It taught me how to be both a pilot and a decision-maker, someone who doesn't just fly the aircraft but also takes full responsibility for every choice made in the cockpit," he said. "I navigated across deserts, coastlines, mountain ranges and remote outback strips." That journey raised money for Queensland's Children's Hospital, which has been pivotal in his recovery. It also connected him with other young people who have encountered health challenges. "I saw the power of aviation," he said. "Whether it was meeting someone at a remote airstrip who shared their own health battles, or getting a message from a young person with Crohn's disease who felt inspired by what I was doing, I started to see flying not just as a personal goal but as a platform to raise awareness, connect, and to show that young people with invisible illnesses and other challenges you can literally rise above them," he said. The two-month trip around the world will no doubt be more arduous. Depending on the weather, it could potentially be even longer. Byron will be under the supervision of the flying instructor the whole way through and will need to carefully manage Crohn's disease. "Each leg has been carefully planned," he said. "I've been working with pilot mentors, aircraft mechanics, flight planners, air traffic authorities and border officials across multiple continents, and the logistics alone are enormous." The journey will raise money for the Mission Aviation Fellowship. "Through this journey, I hope to meet others facing similar struggles in the countries I visit, hear their stories and shine a light on the resilience it takes to keep going and keep showing up," he said. Byron's trip begins on August 2 from Brisbane, and you can follow his route and track progress here and donate to his GoFundMe to support him. As for his long-term goal? To be a commercial airline pilot. In 2024, a 14-year-old Byron Waller flew around Australia. Now the young pilot has his sights set on conquering the world. The 15-year-old is aiming to become the youngest person ever to fly around the world. The trip begins on August 2 and will be in a four-seat, single-engine aircraft known as a Sling Tsi. Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East and Europe are all on the bucket list. The jam-packed itinerary includes more than 30 countries across seven continents. The longest leg will be a 14-hour journey from California to Hawaii. For Byron, flying has always been a lifeline in a childhood filled with unexplained health challenges. "I missed school, sports, even birthday parties and Christmas because I was always in the hospital or too unwell to get out of bed," he told ACM. "Flying is not just something I love," he said. " It is the one thing that got me going when I was at my worst." Five years ago, Byron's family moved next to the Queensland Children's Hospital after realising they were waiting up to an hour for ambulances to reach their inner city home. He spent nine months in the hospital being treated, and then, a breakthrough with a Crohn's disease diagnosis - an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. "It explained everything, but it also nearly grounded my biggest dream: to become a pilot," he said. "There were days I needed a wheelchair," he said. Bryon described his 2024 trip around Australia was transformational. "It taught me how to be both a pilot and a decision-maker, someone who doesn't just fly the aircraft but also takes full responsibility for every choice made in the cockpit," he said. "I navigated across deserts, coastlines, mountain ranges and remote outback strips." That journey raised money for Queensland's Children's Hospital, which has been pivotal in his recovery. It also connected him with other young people who have encountered health challenges. "I saw the power of aviation," he said. "Whether it was meeting someone at a remote airstrip who shared their own health battles, or getting a message from a young person with Crohn's disease who felt inspired by what I was doing, I started to see flying not just as a personal goal but as a platform to raise awareness, connect, and to show that young people with invisible illnesses and other challenges you can literally rise above them," he said. The two-month trip around the world will no doubt be more arduous. Depending on the weather, it could potentially be even longer. Byron will be under the supervision of the flying instructor the whole way through and will need to carefully manage Crohn's disease. "Each leg has been carefully planned," he said. "I've been working with pilot mentors, aircraft mechanics, flight planners, air traffic authorities and border officials across multiple continents, and the logistics alone are enormous." The journey will raise money for the Mission Aviation Fellowship. "Through this journey, I hope to meet others facing similar struggles in the countries I visit, hear their stories and shine a light on the resilience it takes to keep going and keep showing up," he said. Byron's trip begins on August 2 from Brisbane, and you can follow his route and track progress here and donate to his GoFundMe to support him. As for his long-term goal? To be a commercial airline pilot. In 2024, a 14-year-old Byron Waller flew around Australia. Now the young pilot has his sights set on conquering the world. The 15-year-old is aiming to become the youngest person ever to fly around the world. The trip begins on August 2 and will be in a four-seat, single-engine aircraft known as a Sling Tsi. Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East and Europe are all on the bucket list. The jam-packed itinerary includes more than 30 countries across seven continents. The longest leg will be a 14-hour journey from California to Hawaii. For Byron, flying has always been a lifeline in a childhood filled with unexplained health challenges. "I missed school, sports, even birthday parties and Christmas because I was always in the hospital or too unwell to get out of bed," he told ACM. "Flying is not just something I love," he said. " It is the one thing that got me going when I was at my worst." Five years ago, Byron's family moved next to the Queensland Children's Hospital after realising they were waiting up to an hour for ambulances to reach their inner city home. He spent nine months in the hospital being treated, and then, a breakthrough with a Crohn's disease diagnosis - an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. "It explained everything, but it also nearly grounded my biggest dream: to become a pilot," he said. "There were days I needed a wheelchair," he said. Bryon described his 2024 trip around Australia was transformational. "It taught me how to be both a pilot and a decision-maker, someone who doesn't just fly the aircraft but also takes full responsibility for every choice made in the cockpit," he said. "I navigated across deserts, coastlines, mountain ranges and remote outback strips." That journey raised money for Queensland's Children's Hospital, which has been pivotal in his recovery. It also connected him with other young people who have encountered health challenges. "I saw the power of aviation," he said. "Whether it was meeting someone at a remote airstrip who shared their own health battles, or getting a message from a young person with Crohn's disease who felt inspired by what I was doing, I started to see flying not just as a personal goal but as a platform to raise awareness, connect, and to show that young people with invisible illnesses and other challenges you can literally rise above them," he said. The two-month trip around the world will no doubt be more arduous. Depending on the weather, it could potentially be even longer. Byron will be under the supervision of the flying instructor the whole way through and will need to carefully manage Crohn's disease. "Each leg has been carefully planned," he said. "I've been working with pilot mentors, aircraft mechanics, flight planners, air traffic authorities and border officials across multiple continents, and the logistics alone are enormous." The journey will raise money for the Mission Aviation Fellowship. "Through this journey, I hope to meet others facing similar struggles in the countries I visit, hear their stories and shine a light on the resilience it takes to keep going and keep showing up," he said. Byron's trip begins on August 2 from Brisbane, and you can follow his route and track progress here and donate to his GoFundMe to support him. As for his long-term goal? To be a commercial airline pilot.
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
"As Gwyneth Paltrow Said": Astronomer CEO On Moving On From Kiss Cam Scandal
It's been an eventful 10-day period for Astronomer, a Cincinnati-based data operations platform. The company appears to be slowly getting on its feet after a candid moment between its former CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristen Cabot - both married to different people - shot them into the spotlight, and not the kind they expected. Now, Pete DeJoy, the new interim CEO, has said that the Astronomer crew proved last week, in full colour, that "character shines brightest in tough moments". "They supported our customers, each other, and our mission without missing a beat. I'm deeply grateful to work alongside such thoughtful, driven people," he wrote in a LinkedIn post. Apart from thanking the employees at Astronomer, Mr DeJoy also spoke about their "Maximum Effort for their remarkable work" with Academy Award-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow, whom the company hired as a "temporary spokesperson". "As Gwyneth Paltrow said, now it's time for us to return to what we do best: delivering game-changing results for our customers. We look forward to what this next chapter holds for Astronomer," he concluded. Mr Dejoy's post came two days after the tech firm released a tongue-in-cheek ad featuring Gwyneth Paltrow to manage the fallout. Ms Paltrow, the former wife of Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, introduced herself as Astronomer's "very temporary spokesperson." Instead of addressing the scandal, she completely ignores the gossip and talks about what the company actually does. She said, "I'm hired to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer. Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones." The first question: "OMG! What the actual f***," a clear reference to the viral scandal. She ignored the question and answered it as "Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow. Unifying the experience of running data, ML and AI pipelines at scale. We've been thrilled so many people have found a new interest in data workflow automation." The next question: "How is your social media team holding up?" She again ignored and said, "There's still room available at our Beyond Analytics event in September. We will now be returning to what we do best: delivering game-changing results for our customers." The ad was created in collaboration with Ryan Reynolds' creative agency, Maximum Effort. Thank you for your interest in Maximum Effort, @astronomerio! We'll now get back to what we do best: motion pictures with Hugh Jackman, Fastvertising and Wrexham football. We'll leave data workflow automation to ̶G̶w̶y̶n̶e̶t̶h̶ ̶P̶a̶ Astronomer. — Maximum Effort (@MaximumEffort) July 27, 2025 Mr Byron and Ms Cabot were caught on camera during the British Band's famous 'Jumbotron segment' sharing an intimate moment in Boston last week. The duo was first put on leave. Mr Byron was the first to resign; Ms Cabot followed soon after.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Andy Byron's Net Worth Faces Significant Hit Over Astronomer Scandal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's net worth will likely take a hit following his resignation, experts tell Newsweek. Byron ignited a viral firestorm earlier this month when the married tech executive was caught on a Coldplay concert kiss cam with his arms around the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot. Cabot has also resigned. During the rock band's July 16 concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a jumbotron panned to Byron and Cabot, who quickly dispersed when they realized they were on camera. The original video of the moment, posted by TikTok user Grace Springer, has garnered over 128.6 million views on the social media platform. "Oh, look at these two," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said in the clip before they ducked out of view. "All right, come on. You're OK! Oh what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy. I'm not quite sure." What Is Andy Byron's Net Worth? Byron's compensation at Astronomer has not been made public, but the New York Post estimated his net worth to be between $20 million and $70 million. According to Astronomer's LinkedIn page, the software development business "empowers data teams to bring mission-critical analytics, AI, and software to life." Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's net worth is likely to take a hit following his resignation, experts tell Newsweek. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's net worth is likely to take a hit following his resignation, experts tell Newsweek. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty The Financial Impact William Walter, managing director of leading PR and reputation management firm, Bridgehead Communications, told Newsweek Byron's resignation "will have an immediate financial impact." "If his compensation package included unvested stock options or performance-related bonuses, stepping down is likely to be very costly. If a divorce follows and no prenuptial agreement exists, that could also significantly impact his net worth, particularly if marital assets include company equity." Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, who reportedly changed her Facebook profile name before deactivating her account. "The more serious challenge is reputational," Walter said. "In tech, founder credibility is currency. A viral scandal like this undermines his personal brand and could make him toxic to investors, partners, and boards, at least in the short term. That reputational damage can ripple across future ventures, diminishing his ability to raise capital, lead teams, or command lucrative advisory roles." Walter added that while "rebuilding trust is possible, it takes a deliberate strategy." "We've seen other founders rehabilitate their image through carefully managed media engagement: think in-depth interviews that show accountability, podcast appearances discussing leadership lessons, and long-form opinion pieces reflecting on personal growth. Partnering with causes that align with his values can also help shift the narrative from scandal to substance, but crucially, these efforts must appear genuine and authentic. Public perception is not robotic. The key is not just to reappear, but to reframe." However, Wouter Jong, an assistant professor in crisis communication at Leiden University, said that Byron's resignation "may have limited immediate impact on his net worth, assuming he retains equity or stock options in Astronomer." That being said, "a potential divorce could have significant financial consequences," Jong said. "High-profile tech divorces, such as Jeff Bezos', have often led to ownership restructuring and liquidity pressure. From Astronomer's perspective, the company has clearly distanced itself from the personal crisis. This will likely limit the long-term effect on the business, though it could complicate any potential return for Byron," Jong said. He suggested that "the situation might be more concerning for Kristin Cabot." "Unlike Andy Byron, she does not have the same level of personal wealth, and re-entry into high-level roles will be significantly more difficult, especially in companies that prioritize ethics and compliance," Jong said. "While CEOs are expected to set the tone, HR leaders are typically the face of such internal policies. Her gender and lower-ranking position may make a comeback more difficult, despite prevailing narratives about equality in corporate culture." Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during their Music of the Spheres World Tour in Stanford, California, on May 31, 2025. Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during their Music of the Spheres World Tour in Stanford, California, on May 31, Tech Examples Jong noted that, in the past, "we've seen before how a CEO's behavior can directly impact a company's brand image." "Take Elon Musk, for example, whose political rhetoric has negatively affected Tesla's reputation," the crisis management and crisis communication consultant said. "Whether Astronomer will suffer a similar fate is uncertain. A key difference is that Astronomer operates primarily in the business-to-business (B2B) market, where public perception tends to carry less weight than in consumer-facing sectors." Following Tesla CEO Musk's foray into federal politics as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year, polling last month revealed the billionaire businessman's favorability rating was -18.1, according to data compiled by Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin. "The long-term financial impact on Astronomer will largely depend on how central Byron was perceived to be to the company's success. The tech sector is known for its high tolerance for comebacks, especially for individuals with a strong track record," Jong said. "In a much more serious case at Australian tech firm WiseTech in 2024, founder Richard White was forced to step down following revelations about sexual relationships in exchange for investments and real estate. Nevertheless, he returned to a senior leadership role at the company in early 2025." White, whose net worth is estimated at $10.3 billion, according to Forbes, resigned from WiseTech after 30 years as the company's CEO. He was later cleared of the allegations made against him, The Guardian reported. The Public's Widespread Interest Byron and Cabot's concert moment went mega viral for a variety of reasons, Jong said. "The incident triggered widespread public schadenfreude, amplified by the video footage itself, showing two people not only acting as if nothing was wrong but actively ducking the spotlight," he told Newsweek. "What makes this PR crisis particularly notable is the convergence of two layers: on one hand, a company culture that prohibits relationships between executives and employees; on the other, the public's judgment about whether this should automatically lead to personal consequences, such as divorce. That judgment is culturally dependent, and in the United States, the threshold for moral outrage is probably higher than elsewhere."
