12 Corporate Execs Who Tanked Their Cash Cow in Spectacular Fashion
![12 Corporate Execs Who Tanked Their Cash Cow in Spectacular Fashion](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/7/897107_320x180.jpg)
Welcome to this list of 12 corporate execs who went on insane rants and paid a heavy price for it. From the CEO of a jewelry group who cost his company £500 million with a single speech, to the head of a tech business who quit after a racist outburst, these execs have all gone too far and paid the price.
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We’ve all been there ... but maybe not as execs, though. You’re in the middle of a heated argument, and before you know it, you’ve said something you immediately regret. But these execs took it to the next level, and their words have cost them their jobs and reputations.
This list is a cautionary tale for anyone in a position of power. It’s a reminder that words have consequences, and it’s important to think before you speak. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at these corporate execs and their rants.
Papa John’s founder resigns in disgrace.
![GM AWARD A D. AWA PAPA JOHNS Better Ingredients. Better Pizza John FREE PIZZA with CORPORATE CRASH & BURN paRewards @PAPAJOHNS.COM PIZZA BEING RACIST PAPA JO Better Ing Better AT WORK John Schnatter, the founder Scan to GO MOBILE with R of Papa John's, stepped down as chairman in 2018 after it was revealed that he had used a racial slur during a conference call. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/5/897115.jpg)
"Doing a Ratner": not recommended.
![CRACKED CORPORATE CRASH & BURN SAYING THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD Gerald Ratner, the CEO of a jewelry group, made a speech in 1991 that included the musing: People say, 'how can you sell this for such a low price?' I say 'because it's total crap. His careless words are now known as doing a Ratner, and cost his company a whooping £500 million.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/2/897112.jpg)
Big bonus cut for bigoted remarks.
![kb CRACKED OF CORPORATE CRASH & BURN kb HOME TALKING SMACK ABOUT KATHY GRIFFIN Jeffrey Mezger, the head of KB Home had his year-end bonus cut by a quarter because he made sexist and homophobic comments about his neighbor, comedian Kathy Griffin.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/3/897113.jpg)
Tech CEO quits after racist outburst.
![CRACKED CORPORATE CRASH & BURN BEING RACIST IN A RESTAURANT Michael Lofthouse, the head of a tech business in San Francisco, quit his job after a video showed him making racist comments to an Asian family at a restaurant in Carmel Valley on the Fourth of July.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/8/897118.jpg)
jordanlizchan/Instagram
CEO’s rant ends volunteer committee.
![CRACKED CORPORATE CRASH & BURN DEMANDING RESPECT, DISRESPÉCTFULLY In 2020, all the people on the volunteer committee for a DV shelter quit after Kirk Ray Smith, the CEO of the organization that runs it, went on a 20- minute rant during a Zoom call, demanding to be treated like the president of a billion dollar company.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/0/897110.jpg)
Monica Herndon/Tampa Bay Times
Racist CEO resigns.
![CRACKED CORPORATE CRASH & BURN BEING RACIST IN A BAR Jason Wood, the CEO of Actionable Insights, stepped down from his job in July 2020 after a video of him making a racist comment in a Fresno bar spread around the internet.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/0/897120.jpg)
Rebecca Hernandez,
CRAFT24/Shutterstock
Fired for TikTok tantrum.
![CORPORATE CRASH & BURN ASSAULTING A BARISTA Merrill Lynch let go of James lannazzo in 2021, after a video of him swearing and throwing a drink at a smoothie worker went viral on TikTok. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/7/897117.jpg)
jjbreezy/TikTok,
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
Insulting fan: 1, Tom Hicks Jr: 0.
![CRACKED CORPORATE CRASH & BURN DAMNING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO CAPITAL-H HELL Tom Hicks Jr, the son of the owner of Liverpool Football Club, quit his job with the team and their parent company in 2010 after he sent an insulting email to a fan, calling him an idiot and then adding, Go to Hell. I'm sick of you.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/9/897119.jpg)
Via Belfast Telegraph,
arda savasciogullari/Shutterstock
"Really stupid" indeed.
![CORPORATE CRASH & BURN THREATENING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT Matt Harrigan stepped down from his role as CEO of PacketSled after he wrote a Facebook post where he threatened to kill Donald Trump. Не admitted that his words were really stupid, and that he only had himself to blame. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/6/897116.jpg)
David Brooks/San Diego Union-Tribune (via Los Angeles Times),
Drop of Light/Shutterstock
"Inappropriate" comment leads to Deloitte investigation.
![CORPORATE CRASH & BURN BEING RACIST (AND DRUNK) AT A HORSE RACE Stephen Cahill, a partner at Deloitte, quit after he said inappropriate stuff at Royal Ascot that upset a lot of different minority groups. This caused Deloitte to launch an investigation. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/9/897109.jpg)
Stephen Cahill,
Olga_i/Shutterstock
CEO’s strange comments cause stock to plummet.
![CORPORATE CRASH & BURN CATCHING THE IRE OF THE DEEP STATE Patrick Byrne, the CEO of Overstock, stepped down in 2019 after he said weird stuff about the Deep State, which caused the company's stock to fall by 36%. Coincidence? CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/4/897114.jpg)
Tech exec steps down after anti-Semitic email.
![CORPORATE CRASH & BURN BLAMING COVID ON THE JEWS In 2022, David Bateman stepped down from his role as founder and chair of Entrata after sending an email to tech CEOs, Utah business people, and politicians. In the email, he said that the COVID-19 vaccine was part of a plan by the Jews to kill people. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/1/897111.jpg)
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