The CEO of Hims has withdrawn his support for anti-Israel protesters on campuses after shares of the men’s hair loss company fell 10 percent amid a boycott sparked by his comments.
Andrew Dudum, who identifies as Palestinian-American, clarified his previous comments offering jobs to university protesters, saying his words may be “partly misinterpreted.”
He wrote on They have interpreted it as encouraging violence, intimidation or intolerance of any kind.
‘I deeply believe in the right of people to use their voices in peaceful protests to drive change. This right is fundamental to our democracy and must be protected… Generations of Americans have participated in nonviolent protests…
‘As a father whose children are descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948 and descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland, as I have said before, I personally appreciate the different perspectives that the people I live with have. daily on my table. I hope and pray for peace and an end to violence everywhere.”
Andrew Dudum, who identifies as Palestinian-American, clarified his previous comments offering jobs to university protesters.
Dudum’s clarification comes after critics sparked a boycott of the company, whose shares have fallen more than 10 percent in the past five days.
Him shares fell 8 percent on Friday, wiping out nearly $210 million in stock value in just one day.
The CEO previously said of the protests: “Moral Courage > College Degree,” the 35-year-old CEO wrote Wednesday. ‘If you are currently protesting the genocide of the Palestinian people and your university’s divestment from Israel, continue. Is working. There are many companies and CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline.’
The significant drop came just two days after Dudum’s controversial post, which sparked an immediate reaction, although it is unclear if the recent drop is directly related.
The 10 percent decline in price comes amid a 14 percent downward trend since May 1, when its price was $13.10.
The 10 percent decline in price comes amid a 14 percent downward trend since May 1, when its price was $13.10.
Pro-Palestinian University of Georgia students protest in front of the UGA Arch in Athens on Friday
Protesters at a pro-Palestinian camp on the University of Chicago campus
The company’s chief legal officer had also prearranged a $31,000 stock sale in September that took effect on May 1, which could explain why investors have been withdrawing shares from the company since then.
Last week, conservative writer Ben Domenech wrote of Dudum: ‘If you support Israel, cancel your HIMS subscriptions immediately. Anyway, you can get similar products elsewhere at a cheaper price.’
Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of software company Palantir Technologies, also weighed in, saying, “True moral courage does not involve joining a mindless mob, chanting anti-American Pablum and other woke people, following instructions not to debate or discuss your positions at all.” They remain indignant and righteous, while large numbers of the mob shout for violence and block the Jewish students.’
Many pointed out that Dudum may be harming the interests of shareholders who may not agree with him, given that HIMS is a publicly traded company.
Others shared screenshots of their unsubscription, with one user X writing as a reason: “Their CEO supports Hamas.”
Dudum, who said he has family in Gaza and the West Bank, founded HIMS in 2017.
In his comments on Sunday, Dudum linked to a blog post he published in November in which he called for a ceasefire and lamented that companies continued to support Israel after its counterattack had already killed some 10,000 Palestinians.
“Now, a month after the October 7 attack, we find ourselves in a world where Israel has killed some 10,000 Palestinians and more than 4,000 innocent children in a military response that almost all international experts denounce as violations of international law and rights. human rights,” Dudum wrote.
And the messages of unequivocal support for Israel are still on our corporate pages, untouched and not updated.’
In the Medium post, Dudum described himself as “a father whose children are descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948 and descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland.”
The businessman, who is also an accomplished cellist, was born and raised in San Francisco and dropped out of his studies at the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He is married to Lea Dessi-Olive, chief financial officer of dental floss company Cocofloss.
Dessi-Olive’s latest activity on X shows that she is also passionate about the Palestinian cause, as she shared posts accusing Israel of apartheid.
In another post from September 2021, he shared a video of John Legend criticizing Israel. The couple also shared a photo with the singer the same month.
Dudum is married to Lea Dessi-Olive, chief financial officer of Cocofloss. He sees them with John Legend
Dessi-Olive’s latest activity on X shows that she is also passionate about the Palestinian cause, as she shared posts accusing Israel of apartheid.
Dudum’s stance contrasts with that of other CEOs who have said they will not hire students who participate in pro-Palestine protests.
Bill Ackman, head of Pershing Square Capital Management, announced that he would not hire Harvard students who signed a letter allegedly blaming Israel for the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary said pro-Palestinians are ‘screwed’ because companies will be able to use artificial intelligence technology in the hiring process to eliminate any support for the anti-Israel movement and refuse to hire them.
‘Here’s your resume with a photo of you burning a flag. Look at that one. “That goes in this pile here, because I can get the same person’s talent in this pile that doesn’t burn anything,” O’Leary said on Fox News.The five‘ On Wednesday.
Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and explosive devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings.
More than 100 people were detained during a crackdown in Columbia, just a fraction of the total arrests stemming from recent campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas.
An Associated Press tally recorded at least 56 incidents of arrests at 43 different colleges or universities in the United States since April 18. The figures are based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies.
Israel has called the protests anti-Semitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such accusations to silence the opposition.
Although some protesters have been caught on camera making anti-Semitic comments or violent threats, protest organizers call it a peaceful movement to defend Palestinian rights and protest against the war.
President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right of students to demonstrate peacefully, but denounced the disorder of recent days.
Demonstrations began in Columbia on April 17 with students calling for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to that area’s Health Ministry.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on October 7 and took approximately 250 hostages in an attack on southern Israel.