Nonfungible token (NFT) entrepreneur Wylie Aronow of Yuga Labs – the team behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks – will take a leave of absence from work to manage a host of heart failure symptoms.
In a Jan. 28 Twitter post to his 144,900 followers, Aronow said the difficult decision to retire came in the wake of a heart failure diagnosis after experiencing multiple symptoms over the past few months.
Some serious news: a few days ago I was told by the doctor that I have congestive heart failure. The symptoms started last year out of the blue and I didn’t ask for help (like an idiot) to continue working. But after the test, my doctor called me and asked me to radically change my life.
— GordonGoner.eth (Wylie Aronow) (@GordonGoner) January 28, 2023
The NFT businessman explained that while his “mild” symptoms still allow him to live a “mostly normal life”, his condition has worsened so quickly that he has no other choice but to prioritize his work.
The founder of Yuga Labs has not set a date for when he hopes to make a full recovery and return to his daily duties.
However, Aranow confirmed that he will remain as a board member and strategic advisor.
This is not the first medical diagnosis that has put Aranow out of work.
Aranow revealed that he developed a chronic illness in his twenties that prevented him from advancing in his career. So when he finally recovered and founded Yuga Labs, there was no more:
“When I recovered and started Yuga, I didn’t want to waste my second chance in life. I pushed myself way past my limits. I worked 12 hours a day, almost every day. I had to take advice from everyone around me and find a balance .
“My goal now is to get the best possible medical care and cure,” he said.
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Aronow also expressed his excitement to work with the company’s new CEO, Daniel Alegre, former president and chief operating officer of Activision Blizzard.
While Aronow did not elaborate on what he will do as a strategic advisor, Aronow recently announced on November 8 that he will propose a new model for NFT creator royalties.
Aronow co-founded Yuga Labs with Greg Solano in February 2021.
Among the most famous NFTs developed by the company are CryptoPunks, BAYC, MeeBits and Othersidemeta.