The co-founder of Yoga Labs is taking a leave of absence for health reasons

Entrepreneur Willie Arono of Yuga Labs – staff of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks – will take time off from the office to prioritize his health after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

in january. In 28 tweets to his 144,900 followers, Aronow said the difficult decision to walk away came on the back of a heart failure diagnosis after experiencing countless symptoms over the past few months.

Some heavy news: A few days ago my doctor told me I had congestive heart failure. Symptoms last year started suddenly and I put off seeking help (like an idiot) so I could continue working. But after the test, my doctor called me and told me to radically change my life.

– GordonGoner.eth (Wylie Aronow) (GordonGoner) January 28, 2023

The NFT entrepreneur explained that while his “mild” symptoms still enabled him to live a “mostly normal life,” his condition had accelerated so rapidly that he had no other choice but to deprioritize his work.

The Yuga Labs co-founder hasn’t set a date when he hopes to recover and return to his duties.

However, Aranow confirmed that he will remain a member of the board of directors and a strategic advisor.

This is not the first medical diagnosis that has kept Aranow out of work.

Arano revealed that he suffered from a chronic illness in his twenties, which prevented him from advancing his career. When he finally recovered and co-founded Yuga Labs, there was no looking back:

“When I recovered and we started yoga, I didn’t want to miss a second chance at life. I pushed myself beyond my limits. I worked out 12 hours a day, almost every day. I should have taken advice from everyone around me and strive for balance.” .

“My goals now are to get the best medical treatment I can,” he added.

Related: BuzzFeed backlash after “doxxing” Bored Ape Yacht Club founders

Aronow also expressed his excitement to soon be working alongside the company’s new CEO, Daniel Allegri, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard.

Our incredibly talented friend and co-founder Willie (@employee) has the full support of the entire Yuga family as he embarks on his journey back to health. He will remain a strategic advisor and member of the board of directors. https://t.co/GQieMko3xr

– Yuga Labs (yugalabs) January 28, 2023

While Aronow did not provide any details about what he would do as a strategic advisor, Aronow announced as recently as Nov. 3. 8, 2022, that it will propose a new revenue model for NFT creators.

Aronow co-founded Yoga Labs along with Greg Solano in February 2021.

Notable NFTs developed by the company include CryptoPunks, BAYC, MeeBits, and Othersidemeta.