When Ashley Buchanan accepted a lucrative offer to be Kohl's CEO in January, the company's chairman lauded him as "the ideal candidate." Less than four months later, Buchanan was unceremoniously fired by the Kohl's board of directors.

Amid the scandal, the post could now be remembered as one of the most poorly judged public expressions of affection in corporate history.

Kohl’s canned its newly hired chief executive after an investigation showed he had cut a “highly unusal” business deal with a woman who had been his romantic partner, according to a