Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur,
co-founders of the quirky trivia and fun facts publisher
Mental Floss,are leaving after 16 years at the helm.
In a memo to staff, John Lagana, chairman of Mental Floss'
parent company Dennis Publishing, said Pearson and Hattikudur are stepping down to “pursue other opportunities and spend more time with their families.”
Pearson and
Hattikudur’s decision to leave will not affect Mental Floss’ editorial and business operations, according to the memo, which was obtained by Politico.
Mental Floss was sold to Dennis Publishing six years ago.
In September,Mental Floss shuttered its print publication after 15 years to focus on the brand’s Web site. Its November-December issue was its last in print.
“Hoping
it’s not the last you’ll hear from us," Pearson and Hattikudur wrote at the time, in a note to readers. "We’ve loved creating a print product, but fighting for space on the newsstand
and Pony Expressing issues to doorsteps are no longer the best ways to get you the stories you want.
"There are more than 20 million Flossers reading and watching mental_floss online, and for
us, it feels like there are so many opportunities for new adventures.”
Mental Floss also rakes in 30 million monthly video views. Its contributors include many notable
writers, such as “The Fault in Our Stars” author John Green, who also hosts a weekly YouTube show for Mental Floss called “The List Show.”