Twitter Train Wreck: Why We Can't Turn Away From PayPal Exec's Shocking Meltdown While a riveted audience gawks on, PayPal has responded to the Twitter tirade of former employee Rakesh Agrawal, calling his meltdown 'tasteless' and 'worrisome.'
By Geoff Weiss •
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"Winning" or not, Rakesh Agrawal seems to have taken a page from the Charlie Sheen playbook.
The former director of strategy for PayPal is currently starring in his own spectacularly disturbing Twitter meltdown, after hurling expletive-ridden missives at former colleagues last weekend that have since been deleted.
Though he's parted ways with the company, Agrawal is still ranting around the clock -- lashing out at his former employers, describing a new company he's founding alongside his assistant and her 3-year-old daughter and dispatching wacky requests, like: "I will pay someone $500 to bring me a bottle of water and $250 prepaid credit card to AT&T store at 48th and 5th. Need it in next 20 minutes."
Whether sleep-deprived, drunk or mentally ill, Agrawal seems to be riding high on the attention he's generating as a riveted audience gawks on.
Related: How to Stay Respected Through Your Next Meltdown
But his tirades are also starting to garner genuine concern.
In a statement on PayPal's website today, president David Marcus called Agrawal's actions "shocking and sad." His "mad rants" illustrate that he "chose to turn a career-defining moment into career-destroying infamy," Marcus writes.
"If you're a close friend of Rocky's," he added, "I'd strongly suggest getting to him sooner rather than later, as his behavior is extremely worrisome."
A seemingly knowing Agrawal tweeted earlier today: "My apologies for all of the weirdness over last few days. I was doing a lot of things that made sense in my head."
See some of his crazier messages below:
Related: Expansion of PayPal Startup Program Shows Landscape Heating Up
Building a company at warp speed is so much fun.
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 6, 2014
I am not drunk.
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 6, 2014
Anyone know how i can legally give equity to a three year old? Or pay her?
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) May 4, 2014
Related: Ssshhhhh: Put the Kibosh on Annoying Twitter Users Without Them Knowing