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WeWork’s Failed IPO Leaves a Lasting Impact on the Stock Market

WeWork’s Failed IPO Leaves a Lasting Impact on the Stock Market

 

A year ago, WeWork was getting ready for one of the decade’s most anticipated initial public offerings. The company had spent nine years chasing lightning-fast growth, burning through billions of dollars and expanding around the world. In 2019, WeWork reached a turning point: It needed even more cash, and co-founder Adam Neumann decided to take his company public.

But suddenly, in the span of a few weeks, his plan crashed spectacularly. The almost-IPO flopped, and WeWork became a laughingstock. In the sixth episode of our podcast series Foundering, we reveal how the company’s fortunes flipped so fast, why no one there saw it coming and how the experience permanently changed expectations for future companies.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.