Groupon CEO: “I Was Fired Today.”

Andrew Mason’s numbered days as CEO of Groupon have finally come to an end. Following another quarter of lousy earnings, the company said Thursday that Mason is stepping down, effective immediately. Executive Chairman Eric Lefkofsky and Vice Chairman Ted Leonsis have been tapped to run a newly created Office of the Chief Executive until Groupon finds a new CEO.

The announcement follows an ugly fourth-quarter earnings report, in which the company posted a GAAP loss of 12 cents per share — 10 cents more than Wall Street was looking for. Groupon’s stock, which tanked more than 20 percent after the company posted financials yesterday, is now up more than 10 percent on news of Mason’s ouster. (A nice bump. The company should consider firing Mason every day.)

The iffy nature of Mason’s status was apparent during yesterday’s earnings call, when company spokesman Paul Taaffe was asked whether the latest results would affect Mason’s role. His answer: “He’s here today.”

In a message to Groupon employees, Mason announced the move, which has been rumored for months. “After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family,” Mason wrote. “Just kidding — I was fired today. If you’re wondering why … you haven’t been paying attention.” The full memo is below, and below that there’s video of Mason in happier times: Onstage at D9, refusing to answer questions about the IPO papers Groupon would file the next day.