HarperCollins acquires rights to book on Web Summit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave

Mr Cosgrave subsequently resigned as chief executive from the company but maintained an 81% share. However, his departure from the helm was short lived. Six months later, he announced his return to the top job. Pic: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images

Publisher HarperCollins has acquired the global rights to a new book on Web Summit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave.

Drama Drives Interest: The Web Summit Story was written by Business Post legal correspondent Catherine Sanz and will launch in September.

Ms Sanz said the rise of Web Summit and its tumultuous journey to date is “one of the most significant Irish business stories of my generation.” Over the last decade, Mr Cosgrave grew the trade show from an intimate 150-person meet-up into an over 70,000-person gathering in various areas of tech.

Along the way, Mr Cosgrave has found himself in various disagreements including with former taoiseach Enda Kenny which ultimately led to Web Summit moving from Dublin to Lisbon.

Last year, the organiser found himself immersed in controversy again when comments he made on social media relating to the war in Palestine led to a wave of tech heavyweights including Stripe, Meta and Amazon pulling out of his Portugal-based event.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Cosgrave said he was "shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments, with the exception in particular of Ireland’s government, who for once are doing the right thing".

Mr Cosgrave subsequently resigned as chief executive from the company but maintained an 81% share. However, his departure from the helm was short-lived. Six months later, he announced his return to the top job.

Meanwhile, Mr Cosgrave has also become embroiled in a series of lawsuits with his co-founders.

Drama drives interest: The Web Summit story details the highs and lows of one of the most engaging businesses to come out of Ireland, while also giving an insight into Mr Cosgrave’s lesser-known personal life, from being raised on his family farm in Donegal to rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at Wimbledon.

HarperCollins acquired language rights to the book from Ms Sanz and the book will be published paperback, audiobook and ebook in September.