For years, I said Hans Vestberg was the wrong guy. I said the “best network” narrative was smoke and mirrors, that billions in 5G spending without a monetization plan was corporate malpractice, and that leadership had no clue how to run a 21st-century company. And what did I get? The usual chorus of Verizon fanboys and PR parrots laughing it off and calling it “AI talk.”
Well… the “AI talk” just pushed your CEO out the door.
All those corporate cheerleaders who swore everything was fine — the ones who worshipped at the altar of “Ultra Wideband” press releases and internal town-hall buzzwords — are suddenly very quiet now. Because the board just did exactly what they insisted would never happen: they fired the architect of this slow-motion train wreck and replaced him with someone who actually understands platforms, partnerships, and profit.
Let’s be honest: calling it “AI” was never about the technology — it was a cheap way to dismiss what you didn’t want to hear. Because if you admitted the analysis was right, you’d also have to admit the leadership was wrong. And now, here we are: the leadership is gone, and the analysis you mocked is the new corporate strategy.
So keep sneering about “AI talking” if it helps you sleep. But know this — the future spoke, and it just fired your hero. All your PR spin couldn’t save him. All your LinkedIn cheerleading couldn’t rewrite the numbers. The truth bulldozed through the talking points… and left your corporate fairy tale in the dust.