This article is more than 1 year old

Panic on the streets of Google+? Choc Factory hires Digg founder

Kevin Rose Milked by ID-obsessed search giant

Google has reportedly hired Digg founder Kevin Rose, who earlier this week shuttered his latest startup project, Milk Inc, to allow the outfit to shift to an unspecified new project.

It turns out, according to a scoop from Liz Gannes over at All Things Digital, that Rose is moving to the Chocolate Factory with his Milk team.

The Digg founder hasn't been able to repeat the success of the popular news and link-sharing site, which Rose left about a year ago.

He only launched Milk's first app – dubbed Oink – in November 2011. On Wednesday, the shleb entrepreneur and serial Web2.0 investor told users of the app that the website would be killed on 31 March.

Gannes reported that the entire Milk team would be joining Google, which declined to comment on the story. Staff from Rose's short-lived venture are expected to bag between $1m and $2m each.

Investors in Milk – which included Google Ventures – will get their full wad of cash back, plus a sweetener, said ATD citing anonymous sources.

It's unclear what Google plans to do with Rose and his team. But it's likely that the 35-year-old will rock up at Google+, which is Mountain View's attempt at a social network.

We at Vulture Central think it's a desperate effort from Google to appear down-wid-the-kids by coming up, er, roses. To push that metaphor a little further [cough] – the ex-Digg man could even end up being a thorn in Google's side.

Apparently, Rose starts his new gig on Monday. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like