When they are the CEO of multi-trillion dollar, geopolitically important companies, and when we are talking about spies of geopolitical adversaries? Yes, absolutely.

In fact, the affair was less important. Even if they were just a very close but unromantic professional relationship it would be a serious scandal.

Most posters in HN don't think "poor corporations are the victims when they are hacked". They think "the corporations should be liable because they did not invest enough in security". This is morally the same.

It's not personal when you're in a certain role. You are not just representing your company, as a CEO you are practically embodying the company. It is the ultimate position, and it's compensated accordingly. If you want a personal life, resign from the job of CEO of the world's biggest and most strategically important company.

> Do we fire people for cheating on their spouse?

Yes, in many places, absolutely. Bad decisions in your personal live suggest bad decisions in your professional life.

> No excuses or rationalizations here, but: Do we fire people for cheating on their spouse? Seems like a private, family matter.

It is not so clear, if this is about his character and can he be trusted. This is evidence that someone is capable for lying and doing something that might not be in line with company ethics either. I don't think we can assume from humans that "he lies only in his private life, but can be totally trusted on business side".

Espionage aside, let's not forget that he was having an affair with a customer company's executive. If that's not a massive professional fuckup I don't know what is.

He did sell billions of dollars of chips to the shell company his spy girlfriend worked for, violating export controls. So there is that.

> Do we fire people for cheating on their spouse?

Nowadays, we make them president.