Don’t date at work, don’t be a jerk: In our viral age, CEOs should behave like royalty to avoid being fired

Photo: Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe speaks during a general shareholders meeting of Swiss food giant Nestle in Ecublens, near Lausanne, on April 16, 2025. (Photo by GABRIEL MONNET / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL MONNET/AFP via Getty Images) (Credit: Photo by GABRIEL MONNET/AFP via Getty Images)

• In today’s CEO Daily: Diane Brady on the recent rash of poor CEO behavior.
• The big story: China’s “Salt Typhoon” may have stolen data on nearly every American.
• The markets: Mostly up.
• Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

Good morning. It’s great to be back after a short break. Catching up, I’ve been struck by the number of CEOs facing public scrutiny—and sometimes a public ouster—for their behavior beyond the job. In the past week alone, we’ve seen Suntory Holdings CEO Takeshi Niinami ousted for allegedly buying illegal supplements, Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe was fired for failing to disclose an affair with a direct subordinate, and Piotr Szczerek of Poland’s Drogbruk was vilified for snatching a hat from a boy at the U.S. Open.