Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork

What happens when a creator’s ambitions overshadow his company & its success? WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann forms the crux of this query as he oversaw the rise and fall of his creation over a decade. Adam and his friend Miguel McKelvey believed in the idea of a freed up business space, an office composed of various businesses, resembling the spirit and harmony of a kibbutz or commune, which both men had spent time in their youth. Adam possessed an entrepreneurial spirit that couldn’t be tamed. After sputtering in early ventures, Adam met Miguel and they prospered with Green Desk. Green Desk was a precursor to WeWork in real estate speculation followed by leasing to businesses. The pair felt they were onto something, their youthful employees toiled hard in making WeWork appear viable. The future was on the horizon, but nothing is ever definite.

Billion Dollar Loser may appear to be a common tale about rags to riches, but the personality of Adam Neumann dispels that instantly. Author Reeves Wiedeman captures a spirited individual who thought big, spent even bigger and was humbled when his company was taken from him. The narrative offers the best & worst of capitalism and unchecked ambition. A riveting cautionary tale.