After acquiring a tiny little site called I Can Has Cheezburger? in 2007, Ben Huh took it to levels that went way further than the internet. The site, and at one time Huh himself, were a bit of a household name. Today, he has announced that he’s stepping down as CEO, to be replaced by its President and COO Scott Moore.
Before there was Buzzfeed, before there was every Huffington Post article you’ve ever clicked on by accident…there was I Can Haz Cheezburger. The site which featured cats in arguably the most memorable meme in internet history, and continues to post funny animal stuff, is now going through its most memorable change.
Huh explained:
I recommended this change to our Board as we continue to get closer to profitability. We have been preparing for this transition for the last few months and I have learned that our investors are truly exceptional people as they have repeatedly demonstrated their helpfulness. I am thankful for their support during this change.
Recently, Huh went through another change. The company that he co-founded, Circa, shut down. Perhaps Huh saw that as a sign to slow things down and stop to smell the cats roses.
Funny story: Huh is actually allergic to cats.
Knowing Huh, it’s easy to believe that this is a difficult move for him. He states that the mission of the company he oversaw for 8 years of his life was and is: “To Make the World Happy for a Few Moments Everyday.” Huh and his team did a pretty damn good job of that.
Emily, Huh’s wife and partner in crime at I Can Has, will be joining him on his next adventures, whatever that may be. Huh remains on the board of the company that oversees I Can Has, Cheezburger, Inc., and is deferring all requests for comments to his replacement, Moore.
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Here’s Huh speaking with us in 2013 about how startup founders and companies should be “more funny”: