LONDON (TheBlaze/AP) -- Glenn Greenwald, the American journalist who broke the first stories about the U.S. National Security Agency's global spying program, says he is leaving the Guardian newspaper.
Greenwald described his partnership with the Guardian as "extremely fruitful and fulfilling," saying in a statement Tuesday that he would take up a new opportunity in journalism. He would not say what it is.
The Guardian's Brazil-based reporter Glenn Greenwald, who was among the first to reveal Washington's vast electronic surveillance program, testifies before the investigative committee of the Senate that examines charges of espionage by the United States in Brasilia on October 9, 2013, following press reports of US electronic surveillance in Brazil based on leaks from Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency contractor. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
The Guardian called Greenwald a "remarkable" journalist and said it wishes him well.
Greenwald has written extensively about NSA surveillance programs based on files leaked by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
There were reports floating around on Tuesday that Greenwald is leaving the Guardian to "join a new media venture funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, according to people familiar with the matter."
Reuters reports:
Omidyar, who is chairman of the board at eBay Inc but is not involved in day-to-day operations at the company, has numerous philanthropic, business and political interests, mainly through an investment entity called the Omidyar Network.Forbes pegged the 46-year-old Omidyar's net worth at $8.5 billion.
Among his ventures is Honolulu Civil Beat, a news website covering public affairs in Hawaii. Civil Beat aimed to create a new online journalism model with paid subscriptions and respectful comment threads, though it is unclear how successful it has been.
"We are of course disappointed by Glenn's decision to move on, but can appreciate the attraction of the new role he has been offered. We wish him all the best," Jennifer Lindauer, a spokeswoman for the Guardian, said in a statement.
News of Greenwald's exit was first reported by BuzzFeed.
–
[related]
