Bozoma St. John shocked corporate America when a massive eight-figure payday wasn’t enough to convince her to take a job she no longer wanted.
During a recent appearance on the One54Africa podcast, the former Netflix executive shared the surprising story of turning down a job offer worth more than $10 million, despite being positioned for an eventual CEO role.
According to Boz, she had been exploring new opportunities and progressed through multiple rounds of interviews with what she described as a very large company. The role on the table was Chief Marketing Officer, with a plan for her to transition into the CEO position after 18 months.
Everything appeared to be falling into place. The offer had already been sent to her legal team, and she was preparing for what would have been her final meeting with the company’s board in Europe. But while sitting alone in her hotel room, she realized something wasn’t right.
“I took a couple of interviews. I made it to one very, very large company that wanted me to become the CMO and, after 18 months, become the CEO of the company,” she recalled. “I had one more meeting, which was with the whole board. It was in Europe. And I was sitting in my hotel, and I was like, ‘Dammit, I don’t want this job. Like I don’t even want to be here.'”
What made the decision even more significant was the size of the compensation package. Boz revealed that the offer was already with her lawyers and carried an eight-figure value.
“And by the way, the offer was already with my lawyers. Eight-figure,” she said. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ And that’s cash without the stock, just to be clear.”
The decision wasn’t an easy one. Boz admitted that walking away from the opportunity was one of the most frightening choices she has ever made.
“It was one of the scariest things. I don’t take it lightly at all,” she explained.
Still, she said the answer became clear once she acknowledged what she truly wanted. Despite the prestige, money, and career advancement attached to the role, her instincts told her it wasn’t the right fit.
“The thing is I didn’t want it anymore,” she said. “And this is why I get passionate about counseling and going with your instinct. It will never lead you wrong.”
The revelation is particularly striking given Boz’s track record at some of the world’s biggest companies. Throughout her career, she has served as Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix, Chief Brand Officer at Uber, Head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music and iTunes, and head of the Music and Entertainment Marketing Group at Pepsi-Cola North America.
For someone whose résumé already reads like a masterclass in executive leadership, turning down a path that could have led directly to a CEO office may seem surprising. But for Bozoma St. John, the decision came down to her instincts telling her to walk away—and that’s exactly what she did!
