Twitter Train Wreck: Why We Can't Turn Away From PayPal Exec's Shocking Meltdown While a riveted audience gawks on, PayPal has responded to the Twitter tirade of former employee Rakesh Agrawal, calling his meltdown 'tasteless' and 'worrisome.'
By Geoff Weiss
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
"Winning" or not, Rakesh Agrawal seems to have taken a page from the Charlie Sheen playbook.
The former director of strategy for PayPal is currently starring in his own spectacularly disturbing Twitter meltdown, after hurling expletive-ridden missives at former colleagues last weekend that have since been deleted.
Though he's parted ways with the company, Agrawal is still ranting around the clock -- lashing out at his former employers, describing a new company he's founding alongside his assistant and her 3-year-old daughter and dispatching wacky requests, like: "I will pay someone $500 to bring me a bottle of water and $250 prepaid credit card to AT&T store at 48th and 5th. Need it in next 20 minutes."
Whether sleep-deprived, drunk or mentally ill, Agrawal seems to be riding high on the attention he's generating as a riveted audience gawks on.
Related: How to Stay Respected Through Your Next Meltdown
But his tirades are also starting to garner genuine concern.
In a statement on PayPal's website today, president David Marcus called Agrawal's actions "shocking and sad." His "mad rants" illustrate that he "chose to turn a career-defining moment into career-destroying infamy," Marcus writes.
"If you're a close friend of Rocky's," he added, "I'd strongly suggest getting to him sooner rather than later, as his behavior is extremely worrisome."
A seemingly knowing Agrawal tweeted earlier today: "My apologies for all of the weirdness over last few days. I was doing a lot of things that made sense in my head."
See some of his crazier messages below:
Related: Expansion of PayPal Startup Program Shows Landscape Heating Up
Building a company at warp speed is so much fun.
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 6, 2014I am not drunk.
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 6, 2014Anyone know how i can legally give equity to a three year old? Or pay her?
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 4, 2014Related: Ssshhhhh: Put the Kibosh on Annoying Twitter Users Without Them Knowing
