Chief executive of Astronomer resigns after Coldplay concert video

The chief executive of tech firm Astronomer has resigned after a video appearing to show two of its senior members of staff embracing at a Coldplay concert went viral.

The tech firm said chief executive Andy Byron had tendered his resignation, and that the board of directors had accepted it.

"As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the company said in a statement.

"Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.

"The board will begin a search for our next chief executive as co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO."

The firm previously said Mr Byron, who was alleged to be the man in the clip, had been placed on leave, but stopped short of confirming it was him in the video.

In the viral clip, the pair are shown on a screen with their arms around each other during the British band's concert at the Gillette Stadium, in Boston, Massachusetts, on 16 July.

Once both of them realised they were being projected, the man quickly ducked out of view while the woman turned to hide her face from the camera.

Appearing to poke fun at the couple, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin is heard on the clip saying: "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."

The awkward encounter sent the internet into a frenzy, with the video gaining millions of views on social media and reports emerging that the two were executives from New York-based tech company Astronomer.

In a previous statement on Friday, the company addressed the viral moment, saying in a post on X that it had launched a "formal investigation" into the matter.

"The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly," it said.

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The company also said Mr Byron had not commented on the matter after a fake statement claiming to be from him began circulating online.

Astronomer said another named member of staff was "not at the event" and that "no other employees were in the video".