Daniel Ek steps down as Spotify CEO amid backlash over military AI ties

Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek has announced that he is stepping down as CEO of the streaming company at the end of this year.

In a statement shared today (September 30), the streaming giant announced that its current co-presidents - Chief Business Officer Alex Norström and Chief product and technology officer Gustav Söderström - will take over the role as co-CEOS, starting from January 1 next year.

The pair will still report to Ek however, who from January 1 will take on the position of executive chairman of Spotify.

“I’ve spent twenty years, nearly my entire adult life, as Spotify’s CEO,” said Ek (via Forbes). “I’m ready to go from a player to a coach.”

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The announcement follows controversy around Ek's wider business portfolio. Spotify has been the subject of boycott calls in the last few months as details emerged of Ek’s significant investment at Helsing, an AI military start-up at which the founder also holds the title of chairman.

Earlier this month, Massive Attack announced they intend to withdrew their entire catalogue from the platform, citing the “moral and ethical burden” of music revenues funding “lethal, dystopian technologies.”

“I always believed that Spotify could play an important role in revolutionising listening around the world, and with more than 700 million users, we’ve truly charted a new course bringing creativity to every corner of the globe,” Ek said in a statement.

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“Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav – who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase,” the statement continues. “This change simply matches titles to how we already operate.”

A report from Forbes says Spotify has been "quietly working on the transition for years" with Ek "increasingly looking beyond the music industry".

Ek launched a $1 billion investment holding company called Prima Materia with Spotify’s former Head of Special Projects, Shakil Khan, in 2021, through which he led the controversial investment in Helsing, as well as investing in companies such as health screening start-up Neko.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter