Rippling Alleges Deel Executives Involved in Corporate Espionage

Deel Inc. is embroiled in allegations of corporate espionage after former Rippling employee Keith O’Brien confessed to spying on behalf of Deel under the direction of CEO Alex Bouaziz. O’Brien revealed in an affidavit that he was paid approximately €5,000 per month to pass on confidential information from Rippling, including corporate strategies and customer insights. His admission ties Deel leadership to the espionage scheme, which was discovered after Rippling noticed unusual recruitment activities and initiated an investigation. The lawsuit filed by Rippling in an Irish court accuses Deel of racketeering and trade secret misappropriation, while Deel has denied any wrongdoing and plans to file counterclaims. The situation has escalated tensions between the two competing HR software companies, both valued at over $12 billion. O’Brien's testimony includes evidence of payments made via cryptocurrency to avoid detection and accusations that Deel's CFO Philippe Bouaziz was also involved in coordinating the scheme.