Spotify Founder Daniel Ek to Transition to Executive Chairman, New Co-CEOs Appointed
Spotify founder Daniel Ek will step down as CEO on January 1, 2026, to become Executive Chairman, with Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström taking over as co-CEOs.
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Overview
- Spotify founder Daniel Ek will transition from his CEO role to become Executive Chairman, effective January 1, 2026, a move planned before recent controversies.
- Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström have been promoted to co-CEOs, taking over the leadership of Spotify as Ek steps into his new strategic role.
- Ek's new position as Executive Chairman will allow him to focus more hands-on on strategy, capital allocation, regulatory efforts, and shaping Spotify's long-term future.
- Following the announcement, Spotify's shares experienced a drop of over 3% in premarket and more than 4% in opening trading.
- The leadership change establishes a European chairman setup, aiming for greater accountability and is not expected to significantly impact Spotify staff.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover the story neutrally, presenting factual information about Daniel Ek's transition at Spotify without adopting a biased stance. They provide balanced context, including the company's growth, artist criticisms, and Ek's investment controversies, while clearly attributing strong opinions to their sources. The reporting focuses on objective details and diverse perspectives.
"Ek announced on Tuesday, Sept. 30 that he is stepping down as CEO, transitioning into a role as executive chairman, effective Jan. 1, 2026."
USA TODAY"Over a decade, Spotify under Ek has grown to become a behemoth of the music industry, while also facing criticism at times for the royalties it pays artists."
Fortune"The move will elevate co-presidents Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, who have each been with the company for more than 15 years and had taken on enhanced responsibilities two years ago."
BBC News"This change simply matches titles to how we already operate."
ABC NewsArticles (6)
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FAQ
Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström will take over as co-CEOs of Spotify after Daniel Ek steps down.
As Executive Chairman, Daniel Ek will focus on Spotify's long-term strategy, capital allocation, regulatory efforts, and shaping the company's future while providing support to the senior team.
The leadership transition will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Following the announcement, Spotify’s shares dropped more than 3% in premarket trading and over 4% when the market opened.
Because Daniel Ek had already turned over much of the day-to-day management and strategy to Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström over the past years, the new titles formalize the existing operational structure.
History
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