Ezra Olubi: A Scandal on the Edge of a Case Study
Normally, reputation in tech moves faster than code, and Ezra Olubi just learned how quickly it can unravel.
Paystack confirmed it had terminated its co-founder and former chief technology officer after allegations of inappropriate conduct toward a subordinate. The decision followed nearly two weeks of suspension while an internal investigation was underway. Olubi claimed the process was cut short.
In a public blog post on November 23, he said his contract ended before he was allowed to defend himself. He insisted the procedure ignored standards he helped set when the company established its governance policies. A legal challenge could follow, although neither Paystack nor Stripe has issued any fresh statement.
Olubi’s removal arrived in the middle of rising conversations about workplace accountability within Africa’s startup ecosystem. Paystack, founded in 2015 and acquired by Stripe for 200 million dollars, had become one of the continent’s most successful tech exports. Suddenly, its own internal culture became part of the story.
The company had earlier confirmed that a formal review was in progress. The case soon widened when past posts from Olubi’s social media resurfaced. Many were graphic, explicit, or joked about topics widely seen as taboo. They sparked online outrage and forced the question of whether personal history can discredit professional achievement.
Supporters called those posts “cruise.” Critics asked why someone at the top of a major payment platform treated public space like a diary. His androgynous style, open advocacy for LGBTQ rights, and deliberately provocative online persona made him a visible figure even before the recent allegations.
The controversy showed how leadership now depends on more than technical expertise. Startups that process millions of transactions also process public trust. Founders discovered that governance is no longer a backroom structure. It is a front-page demand.
Olubi said his legal team would respond. Until they do so, it should be knocked into the heads of everyone who cares that the internet never forgets, even when companies try to move on.
