The founder of WeWork who has in the past been described as having a 'tequila-fueled leadership style', also partied hard, even whilst traveling.
Employees have spoken out about the 'cult-like' environment at WeWork and the behavior of its so-called 'partyer in chief', Adam Neumann, now 42, which included smoking copious amounts of marijuana on private jets while on company business.
On one journey there was said to be so much cannabis smoke in the cabin that the crew felt the need to put on their oxygen masks.
At its peak WeWork had co-working spaces in more than 110 cities in 29 countries with a valuation of $47billion. Neumann was put on a par with the likes of Steve Jobs as a Silicon Valley innovator who would change the world.
Adam Neumann, 42, the former chief executive of the office sharing company, was said to have enjoyed smoking cannabis together with senior execs onboard, a new book reveals. He is pictured with his wife, Rebekah, in 2009
Neumann's tequila-fueled leadership style - where dance parties were more common than meetings - helped the company become one of the hottest tech startups. He's pictured at a WeWork launch party in 2015
A new book reveals just how wild some of Neumann's antics had become.
The details are contained in The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion which is released on Tuesday, a preview of which has been seen by the New York Post.
On one trip to Israel, Neumann's private jet hadn't arrived so he borrowed a G650ER plane from Gulfstream.
Upon landing in the Holy Land, the crew found a cereal box that was packed full of marijuana that had been stuffed into a closet.
'Smoking on board was one thing, but transporting marijuana — an illegal drug in New York and Israel — across borders … might expose Gulfstream to serious risks,' the book states.
Neumann has previously been described not just as the founder of WeWork, but its 'partyer in chief'
The details are contained in a new book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion
Gulfstream ended up bringing the plane home back to the States without Neumann and his cohorts who already had built up quite the reputation.
During another trip in 2015 to Mexico City, passengers were 'spitting tequila on each other'. One passenger vomited 'throughout the cabin and lavatory,' and the 'crew was not tipped.'
VistaJet, a private jet charter company was forced to take its aircraft out of service on several occasions to mop up vomit and alcohol spills.
The company say that on several occasions curtain dividers were also torn down by the CEO or his companions.
The new book reveals several stories that would lead many to question his managerial style.
Execs working for the company who requested in-person meetings might be asked to fly with Neumann to San Francisco at the drop of a hat.
On some flights, so much tequila would be consumed those on board would be vomiting all over the aircraft with lengthy cleanups required. A Gultstream jet is pictured
Other details recounted in the new book include bizarre meetings held in Neumann's luxury car where execs would be forced to get out into a busy road once the session was over
Equally, he could be known to keep senior partners waiting for hours or perhaps having had them join him on board, not find any time to speak with them whatsoever.
Staffers report being abandoned upon landing and having to make their own way home.
When not in an aircraft, Neumann might hold a meeting with staff in his luxury $200,000 Maybach car before telling them to get out once the meeting was over and to ride in a 'chase car' which would be following behind.
'One executive was shown the door in the middle of gridlocked traffic on the Long Island Expressway — instructed to find the chase car somewhere behind them in the traffic,' the book recounts.
In October 2019, Neumann agreed to leave the company after its Japanese investors SoftBank bought
