CEO of Ashley Madison parent company quits

The CEO of Ashley Madison's parent company has left for unexplained reasons, less than a week after gigabytes' worth of his private e-mail were published online by hackers who rooted the company's network.

Avid Life Media CEO Noel Biderman's decision to step down was in mutual agreement with remaining company executives, Vice President Andrew S. Ricci said in a brief statement. The departure comes as some of the leaked e-mails raised ethical questions about the company's business practices and about Biderman's personal conduct. Ashley Madison's tag line was: "Life is short. Have an affair."

"This change is in the best interest of the company and allows us to continue to provide support to our members and dedicated employees," Ricci wrote. "We are steadfast in our commitment to our customer base."