Gustavo Arnal: 52-year old CFO of ailing Bed Bath & Beyond identified as the 'Jenga jumper' who died by suicide
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: The man who jumped from the 18th floor of the 57-storey Tribeca skyscraper on Friday, September 2, has been identified as Gustavo Arnal, the chief financial officer of Bed Bath & Beyond.
Arnal was also an executive vice-president of the struggling retail company. The 52-year-old died by suicide from the building that derives its name from the popular game, 'Jenga' owing to its consciously misaligned apartments stacked atop each other like Jenga blocks. The company is in dire straits as it has been facing mounting losses.
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According to an NYPD spokesperson, Arnal jumped off the skyscraper around 12.30 pm when calls regarding the emergency were first made. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Daily Mail, there was another person on the scene who was hospitalized with minor injuries. EMS officials responded to the incident and took care of Arnal's body.
Arnal, who had previously worked at a number of major companies including Avon, Walgreens, and Procter & Gamble, assumed the responsibilities of chief financial officer in 2020. His death comes merely a few days after the retailer announced that it was laying off 20 per cent of its corporate and supply chain workforce and the closure of 150 stores nationwide as a result of the sky-rocketing inflation. The offices of the chief operating officer and chief stores officer are also being eliminated.
Moreover, MarketBeat had recorded that Arnal sold 42,513 shares in company stock, frequently referred to as "meme stock" in exchange for a little over a $1M on August 16. He was said to have still owned 267,896 shares in the company, valued at just under $6.5M.
Bed Bath & Beyond is suffering due to inflation. The CEO Mark Tritton was fired in June following a 25 per cent plunge in sales in the first quarter. He was replaced by, an independent board director, Sue Gove on an interim basis. Earlier, Gove had stated that the company was "continuing to see significant positive momentum" and planned to build its "deep heritage as a retailer." She also added, "While there is much work ahead, our road map is clear and we're confident that the significant changes we've announced today will have a positive impact on our performance."
The apartment in the 'Jenga building' cost up to $50M. According to the New York Post, the building is the home to the mega-rich, with celebrities like singer Frank Ocean residing there. The curiously designed structure was developed by Alexico Group and was the first skyscraper designed by renowned international architects Herzog & de Meuron. It took 33 months to finish.
The luxurious estate boasts state-of-the-art amenities that include a library lounge, an indoor/outdoor theater, an estuary with a 75ft pool, a landscaped outdoor sundeck and hot tub, a fitness center, yoga studio, steam room, sauna and a private dining room.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).