Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson’s ‘bad dad joke’ lands with a thud
Thompson received criticism from women leaders in Australia's startup scene for making "schoolboy dick jokes" about the allegations against outgoing WiseTech CEO Richard White.
Outspoken Employment Hero founder and CEO Ben Thompson is no stranger to a public dispute, following high-profile feuds with super fund Hostplus and targeted barbs against competitor Rippling.
Now, he finds himself caught in controversy around a self-described "bad dad joke" he made about outgoing WiseTech CEO Richard White on X, with women leaders in Australia's startup ecosystem saying it sent "the wrong message" amid efforts to clean the sector up of harassment.
On 24 October, the day it was announced that the embattled WiseTech boss was stepping down as CEO, Thompson posted: “Richard White is allegedly bringing a whole new meaning to the term ‘seed capital’.”
The comment was in reference to numerous allegations that have surfaced about the WiseTech founder’s behaviour, including expectations of sexual favours in exchange for business investment, crude and suggestive messages sent to female entrepreneurs via LinkedIn, and intimidation and bullying in the workplace.
