Hims CEO walks back his support of college campus protesters after widespread ... trends now
The CEO of Hims has walked back his support of anti-Israel campus protesters after the male hair loss company's stock dropped by 10 percent amid a boycott sparked by his comments.
Andrew Dudum, who identifies as Palestinian-American, clarified his previous comments in which he offered jobs to the university protesters, saying his words can been 'misconstrued my some.'
He wrote on X on Sunday: 'I, in no way condone nor support acts or threats of violence, antisemitism, or intimidation and there is absolutely no justification for violence on our campuses... I am deeply saddened that my support for peaceful protest has been interpreted by some as encouraging violence, intimidation, or bigotry of any kind.
'I do believe deeply in the right for people to use their voices in peaceful protest to drive change. This right is critical to our democracy and must be protected.... Generations of Americans have engaged in non-violent protest...
'As a father whose children are both the descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948, and the descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland, as I have previously shared, I have a personal appreciation for the different perspectives people have which I live with daily at my dinner table. I hope and pray for peace and for an end to violence everywhere.'
Andrew Dudum, who identifies as Palestinian-American, clarified his previous comments in which he offered jobs to the university protesters
Dudum's clarification comes after critics unleashed a boycott of the company, which has seen its stock fall by more than 10 percent over the last five days.
Hims stock dropped 8 percent on Friday, wiping out nearly $210 million in stock value in just one day.
The CEO previously said of the protests: 'Moral courage College degree,' the CEO, 35, wrote on Wednesday. 'If you're currently protesting against the genocide of the Palestinian people & for your university's divestment from Israel, keep going. It's working. There are plenty of companies & CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline.'
The significant drop came just two days after Dudum's controversial post - which sparked immediate backlash - though it's unclear whether the recent drop is directly related.
The 10 percent decrease in price comes amid a 14 percent downward trend since May 1, when its price was $13.10.
University of Georgia pro-Palestinian students protest in front of the UGA arch in Athens on Friday
Demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of Chicago
The company's chief legal officer had also pre-arranged a sale of $31,000 worth of stock in September that was put into affect on May 1 - which could explain why investors are pulling stock out of the company since then.
Last week, conservative writer Ben Domenech wrote of Dudum: 'If you support Israel, cancel your HIMS subscriptions immediately. You can get similar products elsewhere for cheaper anyway.'
Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of software company Palantir Technologies, also weighed in, saying, 'Real moral courage doesn't involve joining a mindless mob, chanting anti-U.S. and other woke Pablum, following instructions not to debate or discuss your positions at all yet being indignantly righteous, while large numbers in the mob chant for violence and block Jewish students.'
Many pointed out that Dudum may be harming the interest of shareholders who may not agree with him, given that HIMS is a publicly traded company.
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