# Ruby Corp

> Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/ruby-corp | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) | Last checked: 2026-10-25


**In short:** Ruby Corp, whose operating company is Ruby Life Inc, is the privately held Toronto business behind Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and Established Men. It was called Avid Life Media until a July 2016 rebrand. It matters to the dating industry as the operator of a well-known discreet dating brand, whose 2015 data breach and later privacy features have shaped debate about protecting member data.

## Key facts

- Type: Dating company (parent of Ashley Madison)
- Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
- Founded: 2007
- Status: Active, privately held
- Website: rubylife.com
- Former name and rebrand: Avid Life Media, the company that owns and operates Ashley Madison, rebranded as ruby Corp. on 12 July 2016, with Rob Segal as newly appointed CEO. (2016-07-12) [source](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avid-life-media-rebrands-as-ruby---officially-drops-ashley-madison-life-is-short-have-an-affair-tagline-300297105.html)
- Headquarters and founding: Company press release says ruby was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. (2016-07-12) [source](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/avid-life-media-rebrands-as-ruby---officially-drops-ashley-madison-life-is-short-have-an-affair-tagline-586432161.html)
- Brands: ruby described itself as the innovator behind Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and Established Men. (2016-07-12) [source](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/avid-life-media-rebrands-as-ruby---officially-drops-ashley-madison-life-is-short-have-an-affair-tagline-586432161.html)
- Corporate structure: FTC complaint describes Ruby Corp, formerly Avid Life Media Inc., as a privately held holding company, and Ruby Life Inc as the entity that owned and operated the Ashley Madison website. (2016-12) [source](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/161214ashleymadisoncmplt1.pdf)
- FTC settlement: Toronto-based Ruby Corp said it paid more than US$1.6 million in settlements in an FTC-led investigation, half to the FTC and half to participating states. (2016-12) [source](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ashley-madison-ruby-ftvc-fine-1.3896283)
- Class action settlement: Ruby Corp. said it would pay US$11.2 million to some US users in a data breach class action, without admitting wrongdoing. (2017-07) [source](https://www.techmeme.com/170716/p4)
- Current operating entity: Google Play lists Ruby Life Inc. as developer of the Ashley Madison app, with a Toronto address. (2026-09-28) [source](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ashleymadison.mobile&hl=en_CA)
- Alternate names: BBB lists Ruby Life Inc in Toronto with alternate names Ashley Madison, Avid Life Media Inc, Cougar Life, Established Men Inc and Ruby Corp. [source](https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/toronto/profile/dating-services/ruby-life-inc-0107-1149334)
- DII coverage: DII reported Ashley Madison launched Discreet View Mode, blurring profiles by default and free to all members, and named Ruby Corp as the platform's parent. (2025-06-10) [source](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/ashley-madison-discreet-view-mode-launch)

## About

Ruby Corp is a privately held company based in Toronto, Canada. It was known as Avid Life Media until July 2016, when it renamed its top company Ruby Corp and appointed Rob Segal as chief executive. The company said at the time that it was founded in 2007. A US Federal Trade Commission complaint filed in December 2016 described Ruby Corp as a holding company for subsidiaries that run dating websites. It named Ruby Life Inc as the entity that owned and operated Ashley Madison. App store and business directory listings now show Ruby Life Inc as the developer and operator. Ruby's best-known brand is Ashley Madison, a dating service for discreet relationships. Company materials have also named Cougar Life and Established Men as brands. In 2015 Ashley Madison suffered a data breach. In December 2016 Ruby paid more than US$1.6 million to settle an investigation led by the FTC and participating US states. In July 2017 it agreed to pay US$11.2 million to settle a US class action over the breach, without admitting wrongdoing. Dating Industry Insights has covered Ruby mainly through Ashley Madison's privacy features, including Discreet View Mode, which blurs profiles by default and which DII reported as free to all members in June 2025.



## Questions



**What is Ruby Corp?** Ruby Corp is a privately held Toronto company, formerly Avid Life Media, that owns Ashley Madison. Ruby Life Inc is the operating entity listed on app stores.

**Which brands does Ruby own?** Its 2016 press release named Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and Established Men.

**When did Avid Life Media become Ruby Corp?** The rebrand was announced on 12 July 2016.

**Does Ruby own Gleeden?** No source found links Ruby to Gleeden. DII's Gleeden story only mentioned Ashley Madison's parent as a comparison.

**What does Ruby Corp do?** Ruby Corp, whose operating company is Ruby Life Inc, is the privately held Toronto business behind Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and Established Men. It was called Avid Life Media until a July 2016 rebrand.

**Where is Ruby Corp based?** Ruby Corp is based in Toronto, Canada.

**When was Ruby Corp founded?** Ruby Corp was founded in 2007.


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Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/ruby-corp
