Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Alex Kipman has spent several years at Microsoft, leading development on the HoloLens AR headset and Kinect for Xbox, among other projects. Now, it looks like Kipman’s time at the company has come to an end under some unfortunate circumstances. Allegations of sexual harassment have led to Alex Kipman leaving Microsoft.
This news comes via a report from Insider. The outlet recently reported on the toxic culture at Microsoft, including the alleged behavior of Kipman. GeekWire obtained an internal email from Scott Guthrie, head of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI group. The email reads “Over the last several months, Alex Kipman and I have been talking about the team’s path going forward. We have mutually decided that this is the right time for him to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.”
There were more than 25 Microsoft employees in the internal report about Kipman’s behavior, according to Insider. Workers recounted instances of unwanted touching. One particular story recalls a meeting in which Kipman watched VR porn in front of employees. Some employees stated that they’ve been told not to leave women around Alex Kipman. A former Microsoft executive told the outlet that a silver lining of the pandemic meant not having to interact in offices, “so we never had to interact with him in person.”
Microsoft has yet to provide a statement on the departure of Alex Kipman or the allegations surrounding him. It’s just the latest instance of leadership in the gaming industry exhibiting toxic and unacceptable behavior. We’ll be sure to update this story should any new information become available.