Astonishing kiss cam footage of a billion-dollar tech firm CEO cozying up to a female colleague at a Coldplay concert has sent the internet into a frenzy.
Andrew Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, was broadcast on the big screen at Boston’s Gillette Stadium with his arm around the company’s HR chief Kristin Cabot during the band’s gig on Tuesday night.
They rapidly covered their faces, with Byron diving out of view and Cabot turning her back to the camera.
But despite their efforts to avoid the limelight, their apparent awkwardness caught the attention of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
‘Oh look at these two!’ the singer said mischievously as they spun around. ‘Oh what? Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.’
The camera stayed trained on the pair, while an astonished woman stood next to them appeared to laugh uncontrollably at the uncomfortable situation.
Public records suggest both Byron, 50, and Cabot, 56, are married – but that they live at different addresses to each of their spouses registered abodes.
The clip instantly went viral, racking up almost six million views on TikTok, as fans flew into a frenzy at the uncomfortable moment.
Memes abounded, with many thanking Coldplay for ‘bringing the whole internet together for one day.’
‘I would like to thank Coldplay for bringing the nation together. For a day, you fixed us,’ wrote another, while a third posted an image of Fred and Wilma Flinstone in a similar pose to the one Byron and Cabot were caught in on the kiss cam.
‘Coldplay’s Cameraman is a gem!’ giggled an X user over a photo of a cameraman with Leonardo DiCaprio’s cackling face in Django Unchained.
‘Next Board Meeting at Astronomer,’ wrote another, over a still of Jonah Hill presenting a professional chart to Brad Pitt in Moneyball – only with the chart covered up by a grab of Byron with his arm around Cabot.
‘Its the most rock n roll thing Coldplays ever done,’ marveled one observer as another chortled: ‘I bet Coldplay will create a new song in honor of the couple in question.’
‘Who did it better?’ vamped an Instagram user, comparing Byron holding Cabot to Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) holding Rose (Kate Winslet) from behind in the ‘I’m flying!’ scene from Titanic.
One X user posted a picture of Martin at the piano with the quip: ‘a CEO hates to see this man coming.’
Daily Mail has contacted Byron, Cabot and Astronomer for comment.
The company they work for provides generative AI software to a number of major companies including Uber, Ford and LinkedIn.
Byron heaped praise on Cabot in a November 2024 post about her appointment to the firm.
‘Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,’ he said.
‘She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.’
Byron became CEO in 2023, and the startup rapidly grew under his tenure including a reported 292% growth in revenue for its ‘Astro’ platform that year.
The startup has been valued at over $1 billion, and last week Byron appeared on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) TV to celebrate the company.
Astronomer raised $93 million in its Series D round of financing, which Byron described as ‘a huge opportunity’ and ‘very exciting’ for the firm.
The concert where the pair were apparently caught out was part of Coldplay’s ongoing Music Of The Spheres World Tour.
They will next play Maddison, Nashville and Miami before heading back to the UK for a string of dates in August.
