Keith O’Brien, a new Rippling employee, since then dropped bombshell accusations that have kept Silicon Valley rapt. Unfortunately, in doing so, his baseless claims have put his family’s safety in jeopardy. O’Brien alleges he served as an informant for Deel, Rippling’s fierce competitor. He claims the repercussions from his actions have put him and his wife through extreme emotional and psychological trauma over the past three years. What started in April with a dramatic plea of guilty has since turned into a tragic tale.
O’Brien disclosed that in exchange for stealing internal Rippling data, he was being paid €5,000 a month. This included proprietary intelligence on product and customer. Beyond risking his own career over this unnecessary act of defiance, however, Mr. O’Brien remembered a recent, alarming incident. He was attempting to evade a particular black SUV that he perceived to be following him the entire trip home. He took sharp turns and went on convoluted paths, only to notice the car continued to follow him in his rearview mirror.
On the day he was busted, O’Brien had to pull out all of the stops. In this short video he tossed his phone into a corporate toilet. Then later, during a fit of rage at his mother-in-law’s house, he broke it up and put the pieces down the drain. Without skipping a beat, O’Brien organized and demanded emergency legal protection. Consequently, an Irish judge granted him an injunction against a number of unnamed men. The judge allegedly said, “It’s like they are in a 1970s cop and robber television series.” To us, this comment really captured how strange things have gotten.
The emotional toll on O’Brien and his wife—who worked as a volunteer firefighter—has been devastating. Like many, they have deep concerns about the safety of their four children. As they move through this ominous new reality of their lives, the anxiety increases.
“We have been experiencing anxiety at home and in public. It has affected our sleep and our concentration,” – O’Brien
The face-off between Deel and Rippling further complicates this already richly textured drama. Ironically, Deel is no longer a customer of Rippling. Now, with Deel providing competing products, the battle between the two companies has escalated. O’Brien’s story has struck a chord with the tech community, many viewing it as a cautionary tale of corporate espionage.
The investigation still continues, and more details are emerging. Both companies are now facing public criticism over their secretive practices and the lengths employees are willing to go to in order to secure a competitive advantage.
