> Is all of this really just schoolyard ego stuff?

Yup. Plus copious amounts of cocaine.*

Someone once pointed out that IRC is Andrew Lee's 'security blanket' and it's been impossible for me to see it any other way since.

He feels entitled to it, in his head he feels whatever he ends up doing is still for the best despite all evidence to the contrary.

https://netsplit.de/networks/top10.php

Stats paint an even sadder picture. That near straight drop was when he split Freenode into 'classic' and 'new' before shutting down 'classic.' (It was theorized he did this in anticipation of Libera overtaking Freenode in global users so he decided to nuke it all.) So, in his short tenure, he went from having the largest active irc network to... probably having less users than Undernet in about 2 weeks' time.

* And no, the cocaine thing is not hyperbole. Dude has a serious drug problem. There's even lawsuits over it.

https://corrupt.tech/1708590130-ocr-compressed.pdf

Some highlights:

> 102. Lee's increasingly erratic behavior made LTM a miserable place to work. In addition to the long hours and high-stress environment at LTM, Lee's conduct made employees uncomfortable and fearful for both their own wellbeing and the continued viability of the company.

> 103. Lee would frequently use cocaine in front of LTM's clients, colleagues, certain employees, and trusted advisors. Plaintiffs Ken, Jane, Michael, John, and James all personally observed Lee's pervasive drug use.

> 104. Lee would regularly leave cocaine and marijuana residue in the office. Ken, who was typically the first to arrive in the office every morning, would find Lee's leftover food, drugs, and alcohol bottles on work stations, and would clean everything up before other LTM personnel arrived.

> 105. Lee made a habit of barging into Ken's living quarters in the middle of the night to play loud music, entertain random women, and use drugs.

> 106. In or around February 2015, Lee wanted to hire an assistant. After interviewing a particular female candidate, Lee-a married man-insisted on hiring her because he wanted to have sex with her. Ken and Park talked Lee out of it, advising Lee that his requested conduct was wrong and could cost L TM in a potential lawsuit. Lee retorted that he did not care about any sexual harassment suit or potential liability for LTM because. he would pay any settlement out of his own pocket.

> 107. Lee also stated that he wanted to start a "modeling agency" under the L TM umbrella called "Breakout Agency." Lee rented a house in the Hollywood Hills for the "models" to live in. Before renting the house and starting the agency, Lee circulated a draft memo to the male LTM executives advising them to make sure to "wear a condom" when having sex with the "models." The draft memorandum was outrageous and, like the incident above, could form the basis of a potential sexual harassment suit. Again, Ken and Park were forced to talk with Lee and insist that he refrain from sending such communication.

> 108. Lee further indicated to LTM personnel that he planned to move the company's workspace to the house in Hollywood Hills, where they would work alongside the models. All LTM personnel recognized that moving the company would create an unstable and unprofessional work environment; and Jane in particular, as one of LTM's few female employees, was not comfortable with the rampant sexism that this move presaged.

> 109. Making matters worse, Lee also had an ongoing relationship with a mistress that he brought to company functions and the LTM offices, despite people knowing that he was married. Lee met his mistress through a company offering female companionship for money. Lee abandoned his wife and newborn child to spend time with this woman, and their relationship was toxic. His mistress was physically and verbally abusive towards Lee, erratic and unpredictable, and caused Lee to act over-emotionally.

> 110. The two fought on a daily basis. And this happened in front of LTM employees, including Plaintiffs. For example, a few days after the February 2015 Meeting, Lee and his mistress had a violent altercation at a club in front of Park, Ken, James, and other L TM personnel. His mistress became infuriated and violent when Lee did not pay attention to her to attend to a conference call concerning L TM business. She punched Lee in the face, causing Lee to lose a tooth.