There was a major surprise in the annual report (.pdf file) for 2014 released by new gTLD registry operator Minds + Machines today. Page 3 of the report was a resignation letter from Executive Chairman Fred Krueger who founded the company with current CEO Antony Van Couvering in 2009. M + M had gone on to build a portfolio of more than two dozen new extensions, including such high profile TLDs as .law, .wedding, .fashion, .london and .yoga.

Krueger said the board initiated the change at the top and, though it came as a surprise to him, he said it was a decision he said he agreed with. Krueger wrote, "At Minds + Machines, as in any company, tough decisions will always have to be made, and ultimately that means one person must make those choices and take responsibility. The decision – initiated by the board – to let Antony be that person, is not just about Minds + Machines, however, it's also about Mozart, the website building, hosting and management service I founded."

Fred Krueger
Minds + Machines Co-Founder

"For the last year, while we were primarily focused on auctions and acquiring new names, I have found myself drawn to a completely different question: how do you make these names useful? This question has become a complete obsession for me, and to be honest, I don't have the bandwidth to do both companies. On this I agree with the board. The decision to move on was unexpected – for me at least – but I am OK with it, indeed supportive of it...I plan to give Mozart my full attention. I’m pleased to say that it is integrated into Minds + Machines. It's launching at the end of this week for all customers who buy a name at mindsandmachines.com, and at http://mozart.co - I encourage you to check it out."