The Trade Desk lays off 15% of its workforce
Ventura-based The Trade Desk, an advertising tech firm, announced that it would be laying off 15% of its global workforce in an effort to “align resources” for long-term growth.
In a filing with the SEC on Sept. 3, The Trade Desk announced it would be eliminating approximately 15% of its workforce, which is about 585 employees, with the majority of those cuts to be completed by the end of the third quarter, which would be Sept. 30.
The Trade Desk did not specify where the job cuts are coming from. There was also no filing with the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, a U.S. federal labor law that requires covered employers to provide a 60-calendar-day advance written notice before plant closings and mass layoffs.
The company expects to incur cash restructuring and related charges of approximately $39 million to $51 million related to employee severance and benefits costs, partially offset by a reversal of approximately $4 million to $5 million related to stock-based compensation, according to the filing. The company expects to recognize the accrual for these charges in the third quarter of 2026.
In a note to employees, which was also published on the company’s website, CEO Jeff Green said about the layoffs, “While this is a common practice in big tech, this has not been a common practice at TTD. We don’t expect it to become one.”
“We’re grateful for the contribution of those who worked at TTD, even if they’re not at the company going forward,” he said.
Green added that the company is in healthy financial shape saying “our financials and business model are very good.”
The Trade Desk has approximately $1.5 billion of cash and no debt on its balance sheet. He added that revenue in 2016 was $202 million and rose to $2.9 billion by the end of 2025.
“We want our teams to be organized into smaller pods and smaller scrums, but with greater focus,” Green said. “Our aim is to position The Trade Desk team to move with greater agility, focus, ownership, and speed. Together, this effort will provide us the opportunity to reinvest in delivering even better outcomes for our clients and will usher in our next phase of growth.”
