When Marc Fleury sold his JBoss open-source middleware business to Red Hat for $350 million last year, he said of the move, "It's not an exit." But less than twelve months later, an exit is exactly what has taken place, as the JBoss exec and Red Hat have revealed that Fleury, currently on parental leave, will not be returning to the company. Frequently cited rumors indicate that the tempestuous "boss of JBoss" was dissatisfied with Red Hat's direction and disinterested in the ongoing operation of the JBoss unit within Red Hat's confines.
"I have done what I can to help Red Hat succeed," Fleury's public statement reads. "People need to understand that open source is a tsunami that is transforming the software industry in its wake, and its inevitability is now well beyond challenge or the force of individual personality."
One of Fleury's final missives as a Red Hat employee was a comparatively tame piece from mid-October on his corporate blog explaining the company's role in "Enterprise 2.0," concluding with his oft-used "Remember we love you" signoff. Some previously expunged or edited public postings were known to be critical of Red Hat business practices, but his few official musings while on the Red Hat payroll were comparatively muted.
