by JAMES S. KIM | @james_s_kim
editor@charactermedia.com
Cats and the Internet go together like American cheese on a cheeseburger. Or, as the Internet would have it, “cheezburger.”
Who would have thought a website with “LOLcats” (defined as “a piksure of a kitteh wif a funny caption) would become one of the most powerful forces on the Internet? Entrepreneur Ben Huh and his wife, Emily, saw something that other “hoomins” couldn’t see. They acquired the website in 2007, eventually forming the Cheezburger Network that includes I Can Haz Cheeseburger, FAIL Blog, The Daily What, Know Your Meme and Memebase. In 2011, the company raised $30 million in venture funds while boasting 16.5 million views each month across their sites.
The original meme that inspired the website’s name.
On Wednesday, Huh announced in a post on Medium that it was time for him and his wife to move on after eight years, as the company continues to move closer to profitability. It was a good time for a leadership change, Huh wrote. He added that Scott Moore, Cheezeburger’s President and COO, would be taking over as CEO.
“Cheezburger gave rise to a new category of content, a new industry of global reach, and as some would call it: the downfall of civilization,” quipped Huh, who is ironically allergic to cats. “I say, ¯_(ツ)_/¯ bring it on, because it looks like a lot of fun. We have made a dent in the universe together and Cheezburger will continue to do so without me. This company has taught me that I have talents and skills beyond what I could imagine, and I want to continue that journey.”
Huh will still be involved and remain on the board of Cheezeburger, Inc. as the company continues to uphold their mission: To make the world happy for a few moments every day. As long as the “internets” is around, “kitteh piksures” will always make us “happeh.”
See Also
Q&A with Ben Huh, the Big Cheez
Bringing Game Characters to Life: Q&A with Cosplay Team Spiral Cats
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Feature image via CatConLA
