Noel Biderman was the founder and former CEO of Avid Life Media, the parent company of the adultery website Ashley Madison. In 2015, NBC News reported that Biderman stepped down from the position of CEO of Ashley Madison. This resignation came after the website was hacked and private data of millions of users was leaked to the public. It was one of the most high-profile hacks in recent times and had heavy consequences for everyone associated.
After the hack, Noel Biderman faced numerous accusations. People who were former users of Ashley Madison claimed that he had not deleted their personal information and accounts despite their paying to have them removed. Biderman’s personal e-mails became public and exposed many of his affairs while he was already married. He resigned over a week after the hack, as per Cosmopolitan.
As of July 2023, Noel Biderman’s LinkedIn profile suggested that he was the CEO of Avenue Insights, a Toronto-based software company. He was also employed as a Strategic Advisor at WonderFi. WonderFi is a ‘Modern Wealth Generation Company,’ as per a report by Marie Claire. According to an article on Distractify, Biderman’s lawyer said that he is currently spending time with his wife Amanda, whom he is still married to after the scandal and his two children.
Ashley Madison was launched in 2001 with the caption, “Life is short. Have an affair.” The company claimed to be creating 1 million affairs every month at that time. The data breach ended in exposing customers’ personal information, including credit card details, sexual fantasies, preferences, and postal addresses. The website claimed to be offering equal opportunities for men and women to have extra-marital affairs. However, unlike what they had publicized, they allegedly had far more male users than female users.
When did Noel Biderman become the CEO of Ashley Madison?
The Canadian entrepreneur and business marketing specialist was appointed CEO of Avid Life Media, the parent company of Ashley Madison, in 2007. During his initial years as chief executive of the website, Noel Biderman actively advocated against its criticism. According to Cosmopolitan, he claimed that it does not promote infidelity.
Noel Biderman reportedly advertised himself as an infidelity expert in the years preceding the data breach. He wrote a book titled Cheaters Prosper: How Infidelity Will Save the Modern Marriage, which was all about cheating. Both Biderman and his wife Amanda reportedly claimed to want to explore the idea of infidelity and how it can impact lives. According to Distractify, Biderman received a threat to take down the website if he didn’t want a data breach. However, he allegedly ignored the threat.
The New York Times reported that the hackers who exposed Ashley Madison accused them of charging customers $19 for having their data deleted. However, they then continued to keep the information on the website. They also claimed that the website had been lying about how many women use their services, among other business frauds. The group of hackers reportedly identified themselves as the Impact Team. In 2015, NBC News reported that the company was facing at least 5 lawsuits. The lawsuits demanded class-action status and more than half a billion dollars.
The Ashley Madison Affair is a three-part Hulu docu-series that delves into the 2015 data breach that exposed the company and its CEO, Noel Biderman.
