Linus Sebastian has released a video announcing that he’ll be stepping down as CEO of Linus Media Group as of July 1. The popular YouTuber from Canada has been streaming his Linus Tech Tips channel since 2008 where he’s covered a wide variety of technology reviews. Fans of LTT shouldn’t panic as Linus will continue to host and present new content. He’ll be trading his CEO title in while donning the new title of Chief Vision Officer. In a full-circle twist of fate Linus is handing over management of his company to his old boss Terrance Tong from NCIX (where he worked from 2007-2013). He jokingly expresses that who better to manage him than the person who supervised and taught him so much in his previous job.
He added, primarily for Linus Media Group personnel, and the sound of relief could easily be heard in his voice, that in moving forward any and all complaints will now go to someone else. Be it in regard to salaries or the contents of the hallway vending machine, he’ll no longer be involved as of July 1. Linus also shared how he’d been after Terrance for some time but had been unable to make anything happen as his former boss had been doing very well in working for other big companies such as Corsair and Dell. He was almost in tears in expressing happiness that things finally came together allowing them to work together again.
Never cut out to be CEO
Linus was very clear that the role of CEO was wearing him down and not something he was ever cut out for. It’s a topic he’s covered in previous videos and while happy and proud of all of the accomplishments of LTT/LMG, the weight of running the growing business has taken its toll over the last ten years.
From Kotaku:
“I wasn’t built for this, and I’m tired”, he says. “Like ‘really can’t do this anymore’ tired. And if I try to drag myself through another 10 years of business administration I know I’m gonna destroy myself, and probably end up killing the company and the community that I love so much in the process”.
Linus Sebastian was also quite frank in revealing that he had been offered a $100 million deal (60% cash / 40% equity) for Linus Media Group. He joked that the deal would’ve been enough for him and his wife Yvonne, their kids, grandkids, and so on to retire in comfort but they turned it down due to enjoying working with the company and honestly not needing the money anyway.