Video: GoDaddy CEO Goes On Vacation, Kills Elephant

Bob Parson's hunting video makes him public enemy #1.

WARNING: THE ABOVE VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC

With the exception of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's famous onscreen romp, vacation videos are usually tame and boring accounts of families sightseeing. Not Bob Parsons' vacation videos.

The founder and CEO of domain-name provider—and purveyor of those corny, cock-tease Super Bowl commercials—GoDaddy.com, went to Zimbabwe earlier this month on vacation and killed an elephant. Not only that, he videotaped himself killing an elephant as well as the surrounding villagers who, sporting GoDaddy.com hats, came to strip flesh from the elephant. He then posted the video online. 

Despite posting a link to the video on his Twitter page on March 14, the video flew under the radar until PETA got a hold of it and launched a boycott campaign against GoDaddy.com. PETA says Parsons also killed a leopard. 

Of course, people are pissed. Multiple publications have written pieces on why Parson's actions were horrible and wrong. Someone has even started an online petition against Parsons and GoDaddy.com that's amassed nearly 3,000 signatures. Competing domain-name websites have been using the PR blunder as a way to score some sales by offering coupons to new customers with code names like "GDKILLER". Namecheap has offered to donate $1 to the Save the Elephants foundation for every domain name that leaves GoDaddy.com and registers with its service. 

Amidst the backlash, Parsons took to his blog to defend the killing: 

“These people have literally nothing and when an elephant is killed it's a big event for them, they are going to be able to eat some protein. This is no different than you or I eating beef...I stand by my decision to help African villagers. I believe elephant management is beneficial. I have the support of the people who really matter in this situation, the families of Zimbabwe—people who need help to survive. I have the support of tribal leaders and the government." 

We don't know who's right or wrong in this situation, all we know is that Bob Parsons is a wild and crazy man. Watch the video and decide for yourself. 

[via Washington Post, Business Insider]

Latest in Pop Culture