Gawker: valleywag, michael widenius

Was MySQL creator's resignation rumor just a negotiating tactic?

Owen Thomas — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:40:00 EDT

We'd heard, on good authority, that Monty Widenius, creator of the popular open-source database MySQL, the foundation of most modern Web apps, had quit Sun, not long after the server maker's $1 billion purchase of his company. MySQL's designated community panderer, Kaj Arnö, muddied the waters with a maybe-he-will-maybe-he-won't blog post. Now, at last, via Infoworld, an explanation: Widenius is negotiating with Sun for a new role at MySQL. Which raises the question: Was he ever really planning to leave, or was he just telling people that to see how his corporate overseers would react?

MySQL founder avoids True/False result on resignation query

Paul Boutin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Michael "Monty" Widenius, the leading mind behind the open-source database program MySQL, was credibly rumored to have resigned from Sun Microsystems last Thursday. Now Kaj Arnö, the VP of community for MySQL AB, the Swedish company acquired by Sun for a billion bucks in January, has done a spectacular job of confusing the hell out of everyone with an equivocating post on the topic. Arnö talked to Widenius and wrote: "Technically there is no resignation letter. However, I spoke to Monty yesterday, and yes, resignation is an option he considers ... In summary, I can neither confirm nor deny the rumour. But I hope my posting has shed some light on the situation." No, Kaj, no it hasn't. (Photo by Sebastian Bergmann)

MySQL founder quits Sun

Paul Boutin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:10:00 EDT

"Just heard that Monty gave his resignation to Sun today," a tipster we trust writes about Michael Widenius, the Finnish-born main author of open-source database software MySQL. Sun Microsystems had aqcuired Monty's company, also called MySQL, for a cool billion in January. So who's running the show now? Best guess is Brian Aker, another prominent MySQL developer. Aker released a lightweight, Web 2.0-oriented version of MySQL called Drizzle in late July, but he's still at Sun.