A former Amazon Vice President, Ethan Evans, has made a startling claim that a CEO of a startup where he once worked seduced his wife, ultimately leading to his divorce. Evans, who is based in Seattle, shared this personal story in a recent LinkedIn post where he offered advice on handling “unethical leaders” and navigating “political snake pits” in the workplace.
In his LinkedIn post, Evans revealed, “A CEO that I worked for seduced my wife in direct retaliation for my pushback on him at work. He won. I got divorced and left the company.” He further urged others to “learn from my pain,” emphasizing that he truly understands the challenges of dealing with manipulative executives.
Evans, who spent over 15 years at Amazon, joined the company as a senior manager and worked his way up to become the Vice President of Prime Gaming in 2019. He retired from Amazon in September 2020 and has since focused on providing career growth advice through his newsletter, “Level Up.”
In a more detailed account shared in his newsletter, Evans described the situation as the “worst example” of unethical leadership he encountered during his career. He explained that the CEO’s actions were a direct response to his resistance at work, which led to his eventual departure from the startup and his divorce.
Evans acknowledged that his marriage was already troubled, noting in a LinkedIn comment, “What this CEO did would not have worked if my then-wife had not been open to his proposition. This in turn reflects that our marriage had problems.” He also emphasized that while his wife ultimately made her own choices, the CEO’s actions played a significant role in the breakdown of their relationship.
Despite not naming the CEO, some social media users speculated that Evans might be referring to Jeff Bezos. However, Evans clarified that the CEO in question led a startup, not a company as large as Amazon. He further stated that he managed to leave the startup and eventually became a VP at Amazon before retiring.
Evans explained his reasons for sharing this personal story, stating that his mission is to help others avoid similar mistakes in their careers. Through his experience, he hopes to guide others in recognizing and dealing with unethical leadership in the workplace.
