Ethos Capital

Ethos Capital is a private equity investment firm founded in 2019 and best known for its attempt to acquire the Public Interest Registry, the organization in charge of managing the .org top-level domain, from the Internet Society for $1.135 billion.[1] On 30 April 2020, the ICANN Board decided to withhold its consent to transfer control of the Public Internet Registry to Ethos Capital, effectively killing the proposed deal.[2]

According to Ethos Capital's website, other investments are Whistle (sports network for kids), Adhark (AI trend analytics)[3], LiquidX (asset trading network)[4], and VidMob (video marketing)[5]. The three largest investors in Ethos Capital are the investment vehicles of three families of Republican billionaires: the Romneys, the Perots and the Johnsons.[6]

Personnel and relationship to ICANN and domain industry

According to Ethos Capital's web site, Ethos was founded by its present CEO, Erik Brooks. Brooks is a former Managing Partner of another private equity firm Abry Partners.[7] During his tenure at Abry, in September 2018, the company acquired Donuts, a domain name registrar with a wide portfolio of new gTLDs.[8] In October 2018 former ICANN President of Global Domains Akram Atallah joined Donuts as CEO,[9] while in December 2018 Donuts co-founder Jon Nevett joined Public Interest Registry as CEO.[10]

Other former ICANN staff members are involved in Ethos Capital itself. Former CEO Fadi Chehadé established Ethos in May of 2019, one day after price caps were lifted from the .org domain, and continues to serve as an advisor.[11] Former ICANN Senior Vice President, Development and Public Responsibility Programs Nora Abusitta-Ouri serves as Chief Purpose Officer.[12] Former ICANN Chief Compliance Officer Allen Grogan also serves as an advisor to Ethos Capital.[13]

References
  1. "Advancing the Internet Society's Mission Into the Future". 30 November 2019.
  2. "ICANN Board Withholds Consent for a Change of Control of the Public Interest Registry (PIR)".
  3. https://www.adhark.com/
  4. https://www.liquidx.com/
  5. https://www.vidmob.com/
  6. "ICANN hits pause on the sale of .ORG to Republican billionaires' private equity fund". Boing Boing. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  7. "Erik Brooks". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  8. "Abry Partners Enters Into Agreement to Invest Majority Stake in Donuts Inc" (Press Release). Donuts. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. "Donuts Appoints Akram J. Atallah as CEO" (Press Release). Donuts. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  10. "Jonathon Nevett Named CEO of Public Interest Registry" (Press Release). Public Interest Registry. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  11. "Internet world despairs as non-profit .org sold for $$$$ to private equity firm, price caps axed". 20 November 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  12. Saarinen, Juha. "Internet Society sells .org to private equity firm". Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  13. "ICANN finally reveals who's behind purchase of .org". 14 January 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
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