How often have we seen this scenario unfold? A brilliant and charismatic company founder who refuses to follow the rules enjoys considerable success, only to be inflamed by his own jerk after making a nasty comment or engaging in outrageous or erratic behavior. We could be talking about American Apparel’s Dov Charney, or maybe Uber’s Travis Kalanick or WeWork’s Adam Neumann. Today he is Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, the global fitness craze.
Glassman resigned as CEO of CrossFit, the company he founded with his ex-wife Lauren 20 years ago in Santa Cruz, California, and which now licenses his name to more than 14,000 gyms around the world. The 63-year-old man said he has retired.
Dave Castro, CrossFit Games Director and Co-Director of Training, will take over as CEO. Glassman will retain full ownership of the company.
In a statement on CrossFit’s corporate website, Glassman wrote: “On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and inadvertently hurt many of its members. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the network One of the world’s largest ranked gyms Offering a stylish solution to the persistent problem of chronic disease Creating a CrossFit and supporting its affiliates and legions of professional trainers of a love.
I cannot allow that my behavior is kept in the manner of the central or affiliated missions. They are too important to endanger them. “
On June 6, Glassman sparked outrage among CrossFit gym owners, their members, and the wider fitness community after debunking the prominent racial conflict in America in the wake of George Floyd’s death, calling him “FLOYD-19” on Twitter and supposedly saying in a Zoom calls gym owners: “I don’t cry George Floyd.”
A day later, Glassman apologized through the company’s official Twitter account, but denied being a racist.
Reebok, which has licensed the CrossFit name for a clothing line since 2010 and also sponsors its flagship competition event, The CrossFit Games, said it was ending its deal with the company. High-profile CrossFit athletes, including Tia Clair, said her future association with the brand was unclear. And more than 1,000 homeowners ended their CrossFit affiliations, according to a collective collaboration document reviewed by Fortune. CrossFit Inc. did not respond to emails from Fortune.
Privately owned CrossFit Inc. does not disclose its finances, but the company’s valuations have been estimated at $ 4 billion. The company licenses their names to gyms it calls “boxes” for a fee of $ 3,000 per year and charges $ 1,000 to license an instructor. Additionally, it charges entry fees to CrossFit Games, which have been broadcast on ESPN, and other authorized events.
