London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025

WeWork's chairman once called John Legere a 'con artist' - now they may be running WeWork together

WeWork's chairman once called John Legere a 'con artist' - now they may be running WeWork together

T-Mobile CEO John Legere is in talks to be the new CEO of WeWork, sources told CNBC’s David Faber on Monday. Marcelo Claure, WeWork’s executive chairman, is searching for a new CEO after SoftBank took control of the coworking company last month. Claure and Legere have a long history, first as fiery telecom competitors and then as merger partners.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son blamed himself last week for overlooking glaring corporate governance lapses and other warnings signs about WeWork co-founder and CEO Adam Neumann.

Step one of his fix was to name Marcelo Claure, SoftBank’s operating chief, to be WeWork’s executive chairman. Claure is in charge of hiring a new CEO and has begun talks with T-Mobile CEO John Legere on taking the job, sources told CNBC on Monday.

SoftBank has an $18 billion-plus investment to protect in a company that’s now valued at a fraction of that amount, following the Japanese conglomerate’s bailout financing of WeWork last month. With that much at stake, and given the laundry list of problems that accumulated under Neumann’s leadership, you’d think the last type of person Claure would pursue is a “con artist.”

Yet, that’s exactly what he tweeted about Legere in 2016, when T-Mobile and Sprint were heated rivals in wireless. Claure was CEO of Sprint at the time.


Claure and Legere have quite a history of insulting each other on Twitter, a spat CNBC covered in 2018 as the longtime competitors were preparing to merge. Legere has often been the attacker, going after Sprint’s struggling business.


But Claure has clapped back at Legere, in particular calling out T-Mobile’s “uncarrier” moniker.


That prompted some trolling action from Legere.


Those tweets were all published before Sprint and T-Mobile engaged in the merger discussions that culminated in a deal announced last year, though it’s still being challenged by a number of state attorneys general who are concerned the combination will hurt competition.


Now, the two executives are on the same wireless team, and Legere is among several candidates being considered for the top WeWork job.

The more friendly nature of their current relationship has also made its way to Twitter. When Claure announced the arrival of his new baby girl last year, Legere was there for him.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
×