Microsoft AR head Alex Kipman leaves company after sexual harassment allegations 

According to an Insider’s report, over 25 Microsoft employees had filed complaints against Kipman about alleged sexual misconduct.

Microsoft’s AR head, Alex Kipman has resigned from the company on account of sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by female colleagues. Kipman led the team that developed company’s HoloLens augmented reality headset and the Kinect motion controller for Xbox. The report has been confirmed by the Insider.

Although Microsoft has not made a public announcement about Kipman’s exit, Geekwire has obtained an internal email from Microsoft cloud boss Scott Guthrie. In the email, he announces Kipman’s exit but without a single mention of sexual harassment. “Over the last several months, Alex Kipman and I have been talking about the team’s path going forward. We have mutually decided that this is the right time for him to leave the company to pursue other opportunities,” he wrote in the letter.

“I appreciate the tremendous vision Alex has provided to Microsoft over the years, and all that he has done to advance our Metaverse offerings. Alex is committed to helping the teams with the transition process over the next two months and ensuring success before pursuing what is next for him,” Guthrie added.

According to an Insider’s report, over 25 Microsoft employees had filed complaints against Kipman about alleged sexual misconduct. He was accused of unwanted touching and he was also reportedly found watching VR porn in front of employees in the office. Some employees even told Insider that they were warned not to leave women employees alone around Kipman.

Employees were so distressed by Kipman’s antics that they felt it happen when they were asked to work from home because of Covid. “The best thing that happened, sadly, was the pandemic. So we never had to interact with him in person,” the employees told Insider. Neither Kipman nor Microsoft has reacted to Insider’s explosive report yet.