[amznthrowaway4]

Absolutely agreed, their CEO search probably started six months ago.

It wouldn't entirely surprise me if The Verge's article used sources that wanted to ensure that the transition happened, and that Korey was pushed out. If you think Korey is bad for the company long-term, you might be willing to take the hit on a single bad holiday to "fix the glitch".

To be clear, I don't think The Verge's reporter was complicit, but it would not surprise me if some members of the board helped ensure the reporter had a single, clear, named target.