The resignation of Göran Marby in December has opened up the role of ICANN CEO and many applicants have emerged.



Michael Gargiulo, the CEO of VPN.com, is one such applicant who seems to have expressed interest in the position. In a press release titled "VPN.com CEO Reviews ICANN CEO Opening," Gargiulo hinted at his considerations for applying for the position. Despite some inaccuracies in his release, Gargiulo emphasized that ICANN needs a visionary leader who can confront issues persisting within the organization and stand up against countries like Russia.

VPN.com is an unusual combination of VPN review site and domain brokerage, formed after Gargiulo purchased the domain for $1 million in 2017. While Gargiulo's expression of interest in the position is notable, his opinion on suspending Iran's .ir domain names due to the country's human rights violations in 2019 may be a disqualifying position if he were to become the next ICANN CEO.