Paddy Cosgrave

Paddy Cosgrave is an Irish entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and CEO of Web Summit, one of the largest technology conferences in the world. He established the event in 2009, initially organizing it from his bedroom. Under his leadership, Web Summit has grown significantly, attracting over 70,000 attendees in recent years and becoming a prominent platform for tech innovation and networking.

In October 2023, Cosgrave resigned from his position amid controversy following a social media post in which he accused Israel of committing war crimes during the conflict with Hamas. His comments led to backlash from several major tech companies, including Google and Amazon, which withdrew from the conference. After a six-month hiatus, during which he reflected on his experiences and the future direction of Web Summit, Cosgrave returned as CEO in April 2024. He expressed a desire to focus on building community and fostering innovation at the event.1234