Arianna Huffington to leave Huffington Post to start new venture
Thrive Global is a health and wellness startup that will launch in a few months
Arianna Huffington, who built the online news site she co-founded into one of the most popular destinations on the internet, announces she is resigning as the Huffington Post's editor in chief.
"I thought HuffPost would be my last act," she tweeted to her 2.3 million followers. "But I've decided to step down as HuffPost's editor-in-chief to run my new venture, Thrive Global."
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A news release from Thrive Global describes the new company as a "corporate and consumer well-being and productivity platform." It says it will provide training, seminars, e-courses and coaching. The site will launch in a few months.
Huffington, 66, has long had an interest in health and wellness issues. She wrote several bestsellers, including The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time.
"When I decided to create Thrive Global, I thought it would be possible to build a startup and continue as editor in chief of the Huffington Post," she said in a release.
"Today, it's clear that was an illusion. As Thrive Global moved from an idea to a reality, with investors, staff, and offices, it became clear to me that I simply couldn't do justice to both companies."
Founded site in 2005
Huffington co-founded the Post 11 years ago. It has expanded many times since then, launching versions in many countries, including in Canada. It also launched a French-language version in Quebec in 2012. CBC supplies some news stories to the Huffington Post through a syndication arrangement.
It is best known for its coverage of politics and entertainment, but also offers blogs and lifestyle features. Some of its writers are paid, while others contribute their work for no pay — a practice that has led to lawsuits from freelancers.
The HuffPost media operation was sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million US, but Arianna Huffington continued to helm the Huffington Post part of the company as president and editor in chief. AOL was subsequently sold to Verizon Communications.
The Huffington Post has more than 100 million unique visitors a month.
With a file from Reuters