Former Rippling employee admits to spying for rival Deel, court documents reveal
- Marijan Hassan - Tech Journalist
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
A former employee of HR software company Rippling has confessed to acting as a spy for rival firm Deel Inc, allegedly under the instruction of Deel's CEO. This is according to an affidavit made public in an Irish court on Wednesday, last week. The admission comes amidst a broader legal battle initiated last month by Rippling, which filed a lawsuit against Deel alleging racketeering, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other offenses.
The James Bond of corporate espionage
The former Rippling employee, Keith O'Brien, stated in the affidavit that he was recruited by Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz to provide confidential information about Rippling in exchange for approximately 5,000 euros per month. O'Brien was initially planning to leave Rippling to pursue his consulting business when Bouaziz suggested he remain in his position and become an informant for Deel.
In his statement, O'Brien recalled Bouaziz saying he "had an idea," and specifically mentioned the fictional spy "James Bond." He detailed being tasked with providing insights into Rippling's operational methods, including corporate strategy, customer intelligence, and other sensitive company information. O'Brien also stated that he was instructed to communicate with Deel's CFO, Philippe Bouaziz (Alex Bouaziz's father), regarding payments.
The affidavit further reveals that all communication between O'Brien and the Bouazizs occurred via the messaging platform Telegram, with messages set to automatically delete after 24 hours. O'Brien noted that "Alex was particularly interested in Rippling's strategies around global payroll and expansion efforts, as well as reviewing specific sales, marketing information, and customer details."
Rippling reportedly became aware of the alleged espionage and orchestrated a trap to identify the individual involved. On March 14th, an independent solicitor served O'Brien with a court order to search his electronic devices. While he surrendered his laptop, O’Brien admitted to concealing his phone. He later claimed Deel’s lawyers instructed him to destroy it.
The case, which reads like a Silicon Valley spy thriller, is likely to raise new questions about ethical boundaries and just how far companies will go in the battle for market dominance.
Neither Deel nor the Bouaziz family has publicly commented on the affidavit.
