Palmer Luckey is out at Facebook. The Oculus co-founder, who helped kick start the recent VR with a prototype headset built in his parents garage, has left its parent company. Oculus has confirmed the report, first spotted by UploadVR, with TechCrunch in a fairly cookie cutter statement.
“Palmer will be dearly missed,” it reads. “Palmer’s legacy extends far beyond Oculus. His inventive spirit helped kickstart the modern VR revolution and build an industry. We’re thankful for everything he did for Oculus and VR, and we wish him all the best.”
Luckey has been largely absent from public view for the past several months, following a Daily Beast piece revealing his involvement with the pro-Trump group Nimble America. He initially denied funding the group, but ultimately took to social media to apologize.
His last public statement was a mixture of regret and defense, reading, in part, “I am committed to the principles of fair play and equal treatment. I did not write the ‘NimbleRichMan’ posts, nor did I delete the account. Reports that I am a founder or employee of Nimble America are false. I don’t have any plans to donate beyond what I have already given to Nimble America.”
In January, Luckey appeared in public to testify as part of an IP lawsuit being brought against Facebook, which acquired the VR company almost exactly three years ago today.
This story is developing…
