Fadi Chehadé – ICANN CEO.
ICANN CEO, Fadi Chehadé, gave an interview to the Russian news agency, Sputnik News.
The interview was conducted over the phone, by Russian investigative reporter, Nikolai Domienenko.
Here are the highlights from the English edition, to be published tomorrow at Sputnik News:
Nikolai Domienenko: Hello Fadi, and thank for interview grant. I ask you, what future bring domainers with gTLD launch one year?
Fadi Chehadé: Thank you, Nikolai, for giving me the opportunity to speak about the ICANN plan for the multi-stakeholder model and other such processes of the “at large” committee and the sub-committees. We are committed to an open Internet, without any control by the US government, as you’re probably well aware of.
Nikolai: Answer my question please, Fadi.
Fadi: Ah, yes. Domain investors need not worry about my recent comments about “cybersquatters”, I was simply referring to the minority, those that register trademarks and expect their owners to pay up thousands of dollars for a domain. So the future is bright for all domainers, thanks to the “at large” committee contributions.
Nikolai: I still no understand what committee does, other than time waste. But ok. So, who are angry by comment cybersquat?
Fadi: Most domainers do not understand the hard work we put in to keep the Internet free, affordable and without any extremism. Considering how 3,000 people gather at ICANN meetings, the worst that happens is spreading the flu bug. Cybersquatters are like a worse disease, such as Ebola. I hope I made it clear through this analogy.
Nikolai: Yes, now understand. Cybersquat is Ebola. Fine. Now, how much money ICANN make?
Fadi: ICANN is a non-profit organization that manages its finances very efficiently. Any superfluous hundreds of millions are also allocated to funds established to promote the growth of Internet freedom, the global spreading of information and the expansion of the Internet name space, and the launch of at least 400 gTLDs every year until 2055. That’s what we do best.
Nikolai: So work for free? Or no? Because in Russia free work is for stupid.
Fadi: Of course, we are all compensated for our contribution, based on the level and type of work. This is not an entry level job, you see, it requires at least 16 hours of daily dedication, 5 days a week, per our financials. And we have to travel a lot, so those expenses have to be compensated somehow. Have you ever seen the bills of a five star hotel?
Nikolai: Peoples say ICANN spend a lot and produce little. But you say opposite. I accept that. And what word for goodbye for today?
Fadi: Thank you for understanding that ICANN is the most useful ‘bureaucratic’ organization on the Internet, without us nothing gets accomplished. Hope to see you at ICANN52 in Singapore, to talk about what we can discuss during ICANN53.
Nikolai: Yes. Good luck.
