London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026

Uber CEO: 'We are very, very, very different from WeWork'

Uber CEO: 'We are very, very, very different from WeWork'

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi defends the company’s business at The New York Times’ DealBook Conference on Wednesday. Khosrowshahi says Uber’s core ride-hailing business should shield it from experiencing a fate like WeWork’s. The stock has been under pressure recently as Uber’s post-IPO lockup is set to expire and it reported more than $1 billion in net losses during the third quarter.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi defended the ride-hailing company’s business Wednesday as its stock continues to tumble and it faces growing investor skepticism around its massive losses.

On stage at The New York Times DealBook conference, interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Khosrowshahi if he was happy the company had gone public in time to avoid a situation like WeWork’s. The embattled workspace company was once expected to stage one of the hottest initial public offerings of the year, but investors balked at its huge losses and unusual business structure. The company ultimately postponed its IPO and had to be bailed out by major investor SoftBank.

“We are very, very, very different from WeWork,” Khosrowshahi said. “Fundamentally the rideshare market is of scale, is global, is an attractive business, and it’s only going to get better in a competitive market.”

In fact, the companies share a number of similarities: Both count SoftBank as their largest investor, received early venture infusions from Benchmark Capital and show operating losses of more than $1 billion per year. Earlier on Tuesday, SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate headed by Masayoshi Son, reported quarterly losses of $6.5 billion, driven in large part by writedowns on its Vision Fund’s investments in both companies.

On stage, Khosrowshahi acknowledged that Uber has felt the effects of a reckoning among public and private investors, wherein the “appetite for the unknown and high risk has gone down.” But he said it has “forced Uber to perform better,” as evidenced by the company’s announcement that it expects to turn an EBITDA profit in 2021, as well as an increasingly rational ride-hailing market.

He added that the core ride-hailing business essentially functions as Uber’s version of Amazon Web Services, which has become a major profit engine for Amazon, and should help Uber achieve profitability.

Khosrowshahi’s comments come as Uber’s IPO lockup agreement is set to expire on Wednesday. The event is the first time since Uber’s IPO in May that insiders can sell the stock, and analysts have warned it could put near-term pressure on the shares.

Earlier this week, Uber reported third-quarter earnings that sent the stock down nearly 10%. In its results, the company posted over $1 billion net losses for the quarter. On a call with analysts, executives dangled an attractive EBITDA profitability target for full year 2021, but many analysts continued to ask skeptical questions to probe for more details.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
×