Bloomberg Digital editor Topolsky abruptly leaving Bloomberg

Joshua Topolsky, the top digital editor at Bloomberg, has been fired from the company due to Michael Bloomberg’s frustration with the website, sources with knowledge of his departure told Dylan Byers of Politico on Friday.

Byers writes, “Topolsky had been hired late last year to spearhead Bloomberg Digital and oversee the relaunch of the website, as well as the launch of several consumer-facing verticals. He joined Bloomberg from The Verge, a tech news site he co-founded in 2011.

“Topolsky’s departure is the latest high-profile change to hit the media company since its founder, the former New York City Mayor, returned to take the reins. Bloomberg hired a new editor-in-chief — John Micklethwait, from The Economist — shortly after his return, in the hopes that he could bring organization to the massive company.

“Topolsky will stay with Bloomberg until next week, when the company is expected to make a formal announcement. A Bloomberg spokesperson declined to comment.”

Read more here.

UPDATE: Bloomberg provided statements from Topolsky, Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith and Bloomberg editor in chief John Micklethwait.

Joshua Topolsky, Editor, Bloomberg Digital:

“The last year at Bloomberg has been an incredible experience for me. Alongside a brilliant team, I had a chance to rebuild and reinvent what Bloomberg Media was and could be. We built something for the future that I am absurdly proud of.

It’s bittersweet to admit, but my appetite for change is even larger than I expected it to be when I arrived at the company. After many discussions with Justin and John, it was clear that whatever I did next, I needed to do on my own. With nothing but love and admiration for the people I’ve had a chance to work with and to know, I know that time is right now.”

Justin B. Smith, CEO, Bloomberg Media:

“Josh did exactly what we hired him to do: we launched two new modern, innovative websites, founded our first regional site in Europe, hit traffic records, became the global leader in business digital video, nearly doubled our social traffic, and sparked digital revenue growth by double digits. Bloomberg Media is already a significantly more influential brand because of Josh. We’re very grateful for his contributions and will miss him.”

John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, Bloomberg:

“Josh Topolsky is one of the most creative digital journalists that I have met. He has done a wonderful job for us in launching Bloomberg Business – the numbers speak for themselves – and he has remained a consistent innovator. Only yesterday afternoon, as we looked at new versions of the home page we had worked on together, it was hard not be struck by his inventiveness and flair. We wish him well in his new endeavours.”