Mustafa Suleyman Leaves Google
Google exec and DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman is out after a turbulent few years. 'I really screwed up,' he said.

                                  
                        DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman has left Google to join venture capital firm Greylock Partners.
                        Suleyman will focus on backing and advising early-stage companies in the AI space.
                        Insider previously reported on allegations that Suleyman had bullied staff at DeepMind.
                        
                        
                        
                          
                              
                        
                            
                            
                        
                            
                        
                            
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                        DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman has left Google to join venture capital firm Greylock Partners.In a press release, Greylock said Suleyman joined as a partner to focus on advising early-stage companies and "investing in promising startups in the AI space."Suleyman joined Google in 2014 after the tech giant acquired DeepMind, the AI startup he cofounded with Demis Hassabis and Shane Legg. In 2019, Suleyman left DeepMind for a VP role focusing on AI policy at Google. The move followed an internal investigation at DeepMind into allegations that Suleyman had bullied staff.Insider reported last year that complaints over Suleyman's behavior had been raised for several years leading up to the investigation. In a podcast interview posted to Greylock's site, Suleyman was asked about his "aggressive management style.""I'm glad you brought that up," answered Suleyman. "I mean, I had a period in sort of 2017, 2018, where a couple of colleagues made a complaint about my management style, and I really screwed up. I was very demanding, and pretty relentless. I think that at times that created an environment where I basically had pretty unreasonable expectations of what people were to be delivering and when, and ended up being pretty hard charging, and that created a very rough environment for some people.He added: "I remain very sorry about the impact that that caused people and the hurt that people felt there."
                        Last year, Google and DeepMind told Insider in a joint statement that, as a result of the internal investigation, Suleyman "undertook professional development training to address areas of concern, which continues, and is not managing large teams."In a statement sent through his personal lawyers in 2021, Suleyman said: "In 2019 I accepted feedback that, as a co-founder at DeepMind, I drove people too hard and at times my management style was not constructive. I took this feedback seriously and agreed to take some time out and start working with a coach. These steps helped me reflect, grow and learn personally and professionally. I apologise unequivocally to those who were affected by my past behaviour."Are you a current or former Google employee with a tip? Contact reporter Hugh Langley at hlangley@businessinsider.com or on the encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram at +1 628-228-1836.Contact reporter Martin Coulter securely using the encrypted messaging app Signal at +447801985586 or email mcoulter@businessinsider.com. Reach out using a nonwork device.
                      