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Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel wrote a note after his emails were exposed due to the Sony data breach. Spiegel exchanged emails with Michael Lynton, the CEO of Sony Entertainment and Snapchat investor. In the note, Spiegel expressed his disappointment and anger about the email leaks, but still did not address Snapchat's privacy issues.
In December 2013, Spiegel was warned about a security flaw in the photo messaging app that exposed 4.6 million people's data.
The Snapchat CEO was another victim of the Sony hack as a number of his emails were posted online. The leaked emails sent and received between Mitch Lasky, a board member of the firm, Spiegel and several investors revealed how some potential deals fell apart.
Spiegel wrote in an email to his team that stealing their secrets were "not okay" as they wish them to "remain private."
Some of the leaked emails confirmed rumors about Snapchat rejecting a $3 billion acquisition from social media network giant Facebook in 2013. It also showed that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg blamed Snapchat for leaking the supposed deal to the press in order to boost the startup's efforts in fundraising. Snapchat investors then urged Spiegel to give Zuckerberg an apology.
In other emails, it was revealed that Spiegel asked Tencent Holdings to be able to cash out on a supposed $40 million investment deal that did not push through. According to Lasky, Spiegel never informed him about the move and that the Snapchat CEO just told him that he rejected a billion deal from "Zuck."
The leaked emails also revealed Snapchat's acquisitions of a QR scanning app,an eyeglass video maker and its plans for the music industry.
The $10 billion firm made an apology for the its security issues earlier this year and that it has been setting up its own security team. Snapchat also began cracking down on malicious applications that made another breach in 2014.
Spiegel's emails also leaked even before the Sony breach. The Snapchat CEO made an apology regarding his message to frat members at Stanford University between 2009 and 2010. Spiegel was reported to have urged sorority members to perform acts of a sexual nature.
Spiegel said in his note that he is sorry that their work was "violated and exposed."
