Who was the CEO of WeWork when it filed for its IPO in 2019?

Adam Neumann was WeWork’s CEO when the company filed for its initial public offering in 2019. He co-founded the company in 2010 with Miguel McKelvey, initially building a business around shared office space before expanding into a broader “space-as-a-service” vision.

WeWork confidentially filed for an IPO in December 2018 and publicly released its S-1 registration statement in August 2019. The filing drew intense attention because of its unusual governance structure, large losses, related-party transactions and Neumann’s extensive voting control.

Neumann stepped down as CEO in September 2019 after investors pushed back against the company’s valuation and leadership. Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham then became co-chief executives, and WeWork postponed and ultimately withdrew the planned IPO. Sandeep Mathrani became CEO later, in 2020, which is why he is a common chronological mix-up.