The last 24 hours have been an emotional roller coaster for Snapchat's CEO, it seems.
Leaked emails uncovered from the Sony Entertainment Pictures hack have recently disclosed several of Snapchat's business plans, to which the company's CEO has responded with a heartfelt note about how the entire debacle personally made him feel.
According to Business Insider, leaked messages from Michael Lynton, Sony Pictures CEO and Snapchat board member, have revealed that Snapchat secretly acquired Vergence Labs for $15 million earlier this year. The company makes a Google Glass-like wearable. The leaked emails also revealed that Evan Spiegel, Snapchat's CEO, wanted to start a music label and use Snapchat to promote the label's artists.
Another exchange between Lynton and journalist Malcolm Gladwell further confirmed Snapchat rejected a buyout offer from Facebook. Reports claimed earlier this year that Facebook tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion, but Snapchat rebuffed the offer because Spiegel thought his app was worth more. In reality, Lynton told Gladwell - while presumably off the record - that Snapchat rejected an even larger bid.
In response to the Sony Pictures hack and the leaking of Snapchat's business plans, Spiegel sent a letter to Snapchat employees and then shared the same letter on Twitter. He referred to the leaked plans as secrets and claimed Snapchat keeps secrets because it lets team members do their work "free from judgment" - and it gives them space to change their minds.
"I felt like I was going to cry all morning," Spiegel said, explaining how he felt after hearing about the leaks. But he also promised Snapchat would keep doing exactly what it is doing, only 10 times better: "We're going to change the world because this is not the one we want to live in".