WeWork

WeWork's story is the defining startup cautionary tale of the 2010s. The co-working company raised $12.8 billion from SoftBank at a $47 billion valuation in 2019, then saw its IPO collapse amid revelations of $1.9 billion in annual losses, founder Adam Neumann's erratic behavior, and egregious self-dealing. By 2023, WeWork filed for bankruptcy — once the most valuable startup in America, it ended with a market cap near zero. Neumann received a $1.7 billion golden parachute.