Noel Biderman
Noel Biderman | |
|---|---|
 Noel at work in 2022 | |
| Born | 1971 |
| Education | University of California Osgoode Hall Law School |
| Occupation | Internet entrepreneur |
Noel Biderman (born 24 November 1971)[1] is a Canadian former lawyer, sports agent and internet entrepreneur [2]
He gained prominence as the CEO of Avid Life Media and its subsidiary, Ashley Madison.[3]
Currently, Biderman sits on the Board of Directors of WonderFi Technologies Inc., a public company on the Toronto Stock Exchange.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]He is a native of Toronto, Ontario.[5] He was born Jewish and had a bar mitzvah ceremony.[6] His grandparents were Holocaust survivors.[7] Growing up in Toronto, he attended the York Mills Collegiate Institute in 1986, the University of California (economics) in 1989, and in 1996 graduated from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School.[2]
Early career
[edit]Biderman began his career in 1997 at Interperformances Inc., where he eventually became the director of Canadian operations.[8]
In 2000, he transitioned to Homestores Inc. (now Move.Inc.), where he rose to the position of General Manager of Canadian Operations.[9]
JumpTv
[edit]In December 2005, Biderman began a position at JumpTV and was named Head of Product Development and Marketing.[10]
Avid Life Media and Ashley Madison
[edit]Biderman became CEO of Avid Life Media and Ashley Madison in 2007.[11]
Responding to critics, Biderman says that Ashley Madison does not promote infidelity, "We're just a platform. No website or 30-second ad is going to convince anyone to cheat. People cheat because their lives aren't working for them."[12] He has said that he writes the commercials for his company (which have featured two attractive people in the throes of passion, and then the sign: "This couple is married...but not to each other"), which the LA Times called "hilarious."[1] Biderman marketed Ashley Madison as having a focus on married women, instead of married men. "I was very confident that men would gravitate towards a service to conduct these otherwise anonymous affairs. They were seemingly doing it already," Biderman told BusinessWeek. "I was much less confident that women would behave that way."[13]
In the summer of 2015, the Ashley Madison website was hacked and sensitive information of millions users was released publicly. Biderman was accused by the hackers of failing to delete accounts from the website even after customers paid to have accounts removed. Biderman's emails were also released.[14] In the wake of the hack, on August 28, 2015, the Ashley Madison website announced that Noel Biderman had resigned as chief executive officer of Avid Life Media Inc.[15]
At the end of Hulu’s 2023 documentary The Ashley Madison Affair, Biderman’s lawyer wrote, “Mr. Biderman is—and was—a committed husband and father.”[4]
“Biderman was also the victim of a crime, like the customers of Ashley Madison whose public information was hacked and publicized,” the statement continued. [16]“While he understands the differences between himself and those customers, he — like many of them — have, in the intervening years, attempted to move on and repair the damage to his life and relationships.[4]
Coaching Career
[edit]A former basketball, volleyball, and football player, Biderman began coaching youth sports in 2012 with the Metro Toronto Wildcats TAP program, leading two age groups to two provincial championships.[17] In 2013, he coached the North Toronto Huskies basketball team alongside the Commissioner of the CFL, earning a provincial bronze medal and a silver medal.[18]
Post Ashley Madison
[edit]Since leaving the dating site, Biderman has transitioned to leading Avenue Insights, a Toronto-based software company that assists small to mid-size organizations in improving data collection. He has also advised companies, including those in legal tech and online dating.
Biderman's story is recounted in Netflix’s Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, which explores the rise, fall, and revival of the controversial dating service.[19] Currently, Biderman sits on the Board of Directors of WonderFi Technologies Inc., a public company on the Toronto Stock Exchange and public company (Flowr).
Media appearances
[edit]Biderman has appeared on The Tyra Banks Show,[20] The View,[21] Larry King Live,[22] GluckRadio,[23] and Rogers TV's Daytime York Region. Biderman also served as a judge for the Miss Tiger Woods mistress pageant on The Howard Stern Show, which was sponsored by Ashley Madison.[24]
In an interview with comedian Amy Schumer, Biderman stated that wives gaining weight "is a legitimate reason" for husbands to seek sex outside their marriages.[25] He told Australia's A Current Affair program that if he found out that his own wife was accessing his cheater's site, "I would be devastated."[26]
Speech and publication
[edit]He authored Cheaters Prosper: How Infidelity Will Save the Modern Marriage, SmartCountry (fiction), and Adultropology (non-fiction).[27] He has spoken at TEDx and participated in a debate on family values at Fellowship Church.[28][29]
Personal life
[edit]Biderman is Jewish, as is his wife Amanda.[30] He is the author of a book titled Cheaters Prosper: How Infidelity Will Save the Modern Marriage.[31]
Biderman has played basketball, volleyball, football, tennis and hockey throughout the majority of his life. He also collects ancient coins and first-edition novels.[2]
Biderman married Amanda Biderman in 2003, and the couple have two children.[32][33] Amanda is originally from South Africa, and has a background in marketing.[34] Prior to the hack, Biderman mentioned he is a happily married father of two and does not himself cheat.[8] It has been alleged, through e-mails leaked during the hack, that Biderman carried on several extramarital affairs over the course of his marriage.[35][36]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Daum, Meghan (2009-01-10). "Ashley Madison's secret success - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ a b c "Noel Biderman Biography - NoelBiderman.com". NoelBiderman.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
- ^ "Ashley Madison founder steps down". BBC News. 28 August 2015.
- ^ a b c Mercuri, Monica. "Where Is Noel Biderman Now? What Happened To Ashley Madison's Former CEO". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ McCarthy, Shawn (2015-10-14). "News - News, commentary and analysis from The Globe and Mail's politics desk". Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "Did Jewish Ashley Madison Founder Use Website To Cheat?". The Forward. 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Ashley Madison founder Noel Biderman is a happily married family man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ a b "Cheats' site a popular affair - Connect - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. 2010-04-18. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ Price, Rob. "The strange rise and sudden fall of Noel Biderman, the former CEO of Ashley Madison". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ CMS, Amura. "Noel Biderman después del escándalo de Ashley Madison: Dónde está, qué hace y cómo resurgió "del infierno"". Forbes Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Hollywood Courts Toronto-based Ashley Madison". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- ^ Caplan, Jeremy (2009-06-29). "Cheating 2.0: New AshleyMadison Apps Make Adultery Even Easier". TIME. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ Sheelah Kolhatkar (February 10, 2011). "Cheating, Incorporated". Businessweek. Archived from the original on April 6, 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Ashley Madison: Boss's emails examined after leak - BBC News". BBC News. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
- ^ York, Sam Thielman in New (28 August 2015). "Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman resigns after third leak of emails". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ Little, Sarah (2024-05-16). "What Happened To Noel Biderman, Ashley Madison's Former CEO". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Ashley Madison founder, CEO Noel Biderman steps down". Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
- ^ "The strange rise and sudden fall of Noel Biderman, the former CEO of Ashley Madison". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Waxman, Olivia B. (2024-05-15). "The Story Behind Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal". TIME. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "The Tyra Banks Show — Ashley Madison". YouTube. 2008-11-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ "The View Hot Topics — Ashley Madison". YouTube. 2009-04-30. Archived from the original on 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ "CNN.com — Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ "Episode 25: Where To Go For an Affair". Podomatic. 2012-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ Wisniewski, Angela. "Ashley Madison | Features". Real Detroit Weekly. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ Stahler, Kelsea (29 April 2015). "Amy Interviews AshleyMadison Creator Noel Biderman On 'Inside Amy Schumer' & Completely Takes Him Down With Subtlety". Bustle. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ Elis, Niv (22 May 2014). "Cheating on your spouse in Israel just got easier". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ "The Church vs. Ashley Madison". 3 March 2011.
- ^ Jayson, Sharon. "Book looks at affairs of the (cheating) heart". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Mahanta, Vinod. "'Happily married' Noel Biderman bets on 'infidelity economy' to build a $125 mn success story". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Angel, Ilana (March 30, 2011). "Ashley Madison & Noel Biderman: Will a Rabbi Take Them On?". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 2013-11-24.
- ^ "Noel Biderman, Ashley Madison Founder, Thinks Infidelity Will Save Marriages". Mic. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "Ashley Madison founder Noel Biderman is a happily married family man". Smh.com.au. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "Amanda Biderman - NoelBiderman.com". NoelBiderman.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
- ^ "Ashley Madison founder Noel Biderman is a happily married family man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
- ^ Chan, Melissa (27 August 2015). "Leaked emails show Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman had multiple affairs: report". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
- ^ Zetter, Kim (2015-08-28). "Ashley Madison CEO Resigns in Wake of Hack, News of Affairs". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-03-28.