Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Trade Desk Cuts 15% of Workforce Amid Market Turmoil
The Trade Desk is a company that helps businesses buy internet advertising.
It is cutting about 15 out of every 100 jobs around the world.
More than 500 people could be affected.
The company says it wants to focus on its most important growth plans and operate with smaller teams.
The cuts came after sales growth slowed and the company’s stock price fell sharply.
Several top executives and board members have also left.
A former employee has been charged with allegedly making money from secret company information.
The company says it still has substantial cash and no debt.
Its leader, Jeff Green, believes artificial intelligence can help the business recover.
The Trade Desk plans to eliminate 15% of its global workforce, potentially affecting more than 500 employees.
Founder and CEO Jeff Green announced the layoffs on September 3, with affected employees leaving the following day.
The restructuring follows weak revenue growth, a roughly 70% one-year share-price decline and the departure of several senior executives and board members.
Former senior financial planning director Jesse Mitchell faces insider-trading and securities-fraud charges over alleged profits exceeding US$338,000.
The company says it remains financially strong and is relying on artificial intelligence, including its Kokai platform, to support a turnaround.
- Who
- The Trade Desk, led by founder and CEO Jeff Green, along with affected employees, departing executives and former financial planning director Jesse Mitchell.
- What
- The company announced a global restructuring involving a 15% workforce reduction amid slowing growth, falling shares and leadership turnover.
- When
- Jeff Green announced the layoffs on September 3, and affected employees left on September 4; most restructuring work is expected to finish in the third quarter of 2026.
- Where
- The layoffs affect The Trade Desk’s global workforce, including employees in offices such as Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, Shenzhen and Taipei.
- Why
- The company says the restructuring will focus resources on major growth priorities and create a leaner structure after disappointing revenue growth and other business pressures.
The Trade Desk and Supporters
Critics and Industry Partners
Reason for layoffs
The Trade Desk and Supporters
The company says the cuts are an organizational realignment designed to focus resources on its biggest growth priorities and create smaller, more focused teams.
Critics and Industry Partners
Analysts say the layoffs reflect serious performance problems, including weak growth, a sharply falling stock price and expected sales declines.
Company finances and outlook
The Trade Desk and Supporters
Jeff Green says The Trade Desk remains financially healthy, has no debt and is positioning itself for growth through investments in artificial intelligence.
Critics and Industry Partners
Critics point to disappointing revenue, cost-structure concerns and the departure of the company’s CFO, chief revenue officer, chief strategy officer and chief marketing officer.
Advertising-fee dispute
The Trade Desk and Supporters
The Trade Desk rejected Publicis Groupe’s allegations, said it had never failed an audit and defended working with agencies without sharing all private client billing data with one partner.
Critics and Industry Partners
Publicis said an independent audit found improper fee practices and client opt-ins, while Dentsu and WPP left the company’s OpenPath initiative over concerns about fee visibility.
- Workforce reduction
- 15% globally, potentially affecting more than 500 employees
- Employees before restructuring
- 3,843 full-time employees as of December 31, 2025
- Estimated restructuring costs
- US$39 million to US$51 million, partly offset by a US$4 million to US$5 million stock-compensation reversal
- Financial position
- About US$1.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, with no debt
- Share-price performance
- Shares fell about 70% over the past year and nearly 90% from their late-2024 peak
- Revenue growth
- Revenue increased 3% year over year in the latest reported quarter and missed Wall Street expectations
- Insider-trading case
- Prosecutors allege Jesse Mitchell made more than US$338,000 using material, non-public information