Chris Hemsworth’s wellness empire is slimming down – but not in the way subscribers hoped.
The Thor star’s fitness app Centr has officially closed its Melbourne headquarters and axed 15 Australian workers, as the company shifts the bulk of its operations to the United States.
The drastic move comes just over a year after Hemsworth, 41, sold the app for a reported $100 million to HighPost Capital, a private equity firm co-founded by Mark Bezos – the brother of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.
A spokesperson for Centr confirmed to 9News this week that the Melbourne office will no longer operate, and only a few Aussie employees will remain on board in remote roles.
‘As Centr continues to scale globally, we’ve made the strategic decision to consolidate operations in the US to improve operational and geographic efficiency,’ they said.
‘This transition affects 15 roles, with a few team members continuing remotely as part of the US–based team.
Chris Hemsworth’s wellness empire is slimming down – but not in the way subscribers hoped. Hemsworth is pictured
Centr remains focused on continued growth across its digital platform, performance–grade equipment, and global partnerships.’
Nick Robinson, Centr’s digital general manager, added that the company plans to ‘continue to drive towards business goals’ through ‘streamlining operations’ and hiring top talent in the US.
It’s the second wave of job cuts to hit the Aussie team in just over a year, after a previous round of layoffs saw around 20 roles slashed.
Until recently, the Melbourne office served as Centr’s hub for content creation, customer service, and sales and marketing for Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
Daily Mail understands all 23 remaining staff in the Melbourne office were summoned to a meeting on Monday and informed it would be their final day with the company.
One senior creative, who is currently five months pregnant, took to LinkedIn and claimed she was given no warning before being told her role was being terminated immediately.
The brutal timing of the layoffs also raised eyebrows given Hemsworth has been spotted holidaying in Spain and Ibiza with wife Elsa Pataky and their children in recent weeks, soaking up the European summer while his Aussie staff were shown the door.
It comes just a month after former Centr CEO Zsofi Paterson departed the company and announced she had taken up a new role with children’s photo–sharing startup Tinybeans.
Centr was bought out by a private equity firm owned by the brother of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos in March last year – but Hemsworth still features prominently in the app and on its website (pictured) and in most of its workouts and promos
Hemsworth launched Centr in 2019, leveraging his global fame and shredded physique to attract subscribers to the platform, which offers high-intensity workouts, meal plans, meditation routines, and wellness tips.
The app charges $119 annually or $20 per month and still prominently features Hemsworth in marketing campaigns, despite his reduced involvement in the day-to-day running of the business.
When it was acquired by HighPost Capital, owned by David Moross and Mark Bezos, the company moved its headquarters to Los Angeles but kept a team in Melbourne.
In April 2022, Hemsworth told his 54 million social media followers that he was ‘thrilled’ Centr had been acquired by Mark Bezos.
The Thor star’s massive deal with the younger brother of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos was touted to make Mark ‘even richer’.
Mark Bezos is the co-leader of New York-based investment group HighPost Capital.
At the time of the sale, a Centr representative said Hemsworth would keep an active role in the company and that he was still a major shareholder.
The company’s website retains Chris Hemsworth’s image as founder and carries his endorsement.
Hemsworth, 39, and Pataky, 46, have posted a series of photos and video to Instagram over the last week showing their family partying aboard a boat off Spain. Both pictured
‘As one of Hollywood’s leading men, Chris is known for diverse roles that require serious physical transformations,’ the website reads.
‘He attributes much of his success to his team of world-class experts in fitness, nutrition and wellness. With Centr, his team is now your team.’
Hemsworth, 39, and Pataky, 46, have posted a series of photos and video to Instagram over the last week showing their family partying aboard a boat off Spain.
‘A little fun in the sun in Spain,’ Hemsworth wrote in the caption alongside photos of the pair dressed in swimwear on Tuesday.
The family earlier travelled to Ibiza after celebrating Hemsworth’s father Craig’s 68th birthday in Greece.
The Thor star also partied alongside his parents and friend Matt Damon last week on the Greek island of Mykonos.
Daily Mail has contacted Centr for comment.
