Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus Rift, has left Facebook three years after he sold Oculus, the company he co-founded, to the social media giant. Luckey – and, by association, Facebook and Oculus – was subject to controversy in September last year after a Daily Beast investigation found that he was secretly funding Nimble America, a pro-Trump “s***posting” group that was targeting The Donald’s Presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, under the pseudonym “NimbleRichMan”.
In September, 2016, Luckey posted the following apology for how his actions impacted the company on Facebook:
“I am deeply sorry that my actions are negatively impacting the perception of Oculus and its partners. The recent news stories about me do not accurately represent my views.
Here’s more background: I contributed $10,000 to Nimble America because I thought the organization had fresh ideas on how to communicate with young voters through the use of several billboards. I am a libertarian who has publicly supported Ron Paul and Gary Johnson in the past, and I plan on voting for Gary in this election as well.
I am committed to the principles of fair play and equal treatment. I did not write the “NimbleRichMan” posts, nor did I delete the account. Reports that I am a founder or employee of Nimble America are false. I don’t have any plans to donate beyond what I have already given to Nimble America.
Still, my actions were my own and do not represent Oculus. I’m sorry for the impact my actions are having on the community.”
Though Palmer apologised and stressed that his behaviour did not “represent Oculus,” a number of developers vowed to stop supporting the Oculus Rift until Luckey was relieved as his position as CPO of Oculus. Six months later, Luckey has left the company, though it is not yet clear whether he jumped or was pushed.
Facebook released the following statement on Luckey’s exit:
“Palmer will be dearly missed. Palmer’s legacy extends far beyond Oculus. His inventive spirit helped kickstart the modern VR revolution and helped build an industry. We’re thankful for everything he did for Oculus and VR, and we wish him all the best.”
Between the Luckey controversy, poor sales of the Oculus Rift, and a $500 million payout following a lawsuit over stolen technologies filed by ZeniMax, it’s not been a good year for Oculus.
