CEO Travis Kalanick Booted From Uber, But Still Rich
Here is a look at Travis Kalanick’s net worth and career history.Things aren’t so great right now for Travis Kalanick. After taking a temporary leave of absence on June 13, the Uber co-founder and CEO resigned from the ridesharing service. According to The New York Times, Kalanick came under intense pressure to exit from Uber investors. The former CEO is additionally facing personal issues and hundreds of allegations of employee misconduct on his watch.
A recent internal investigation produced 215 reports of possible sexual harassment, bullying, retaliation and other inappropriate conduct that have become part of the company’s rumored frat house culture. Take a look at Travis Kalanick’s net worth and career as he looks to his next venture.
Travis Kalanick Net Worth: $6.3 Billion
Whether you admire Kalanick or despise him, there’s no denying Uber has changed the way people get around. Thanks to the 40-year-old former CEO, it’s now normal to hitch a ride with a total stranger — one who has passed the Uber screening process, of course.
The first half of 2017 has been brutal for Uber and Kalanick. In the past six months, both he and the company have repeatedly landed in hot water. Only time will tell if the permanent change in leadership will have a positive effect on the business.
Despite Kalanick’s resignation, he won’t be hurting for cash. His salary hasn’t been publicly revealed, but Travis Kalanick’s net worth is $6.3 billion, according to Forbes.
Read: 20 CEOs Who Changed How We Live
Travis Kalanick’s Life Before Uber
Uber is Kalanick’s first billion-dollar business, but it certainly isn’t his first entrepreneurial effort. While in college at UCLA, he joined forces with a few classmates to found the online file-sharing service Scour.
In 1998, he left UCLA to focus on Scour, but its success was short-lived. The company was sued by the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America before going bankrupt in 2000.
Striking out the first time didn’t deter Kalanick from starting another file-sharing business. Red Swoosh — his second try — was much more successful. He sold the company to content delivery service Akamia in 2007 in an all-stock deal worth an estimated $18.7 million, according to Forbes.
Travis Kalanick Starts Uber
After commiserating about San Francisco’s horrible taxi situation, Kalanick and StumbleUpon co-founder Garrett Camp started Uber in 2009. A smash success from the start, the company now has a presence in 400 cities in 68 countries.
A privately held organization, Uber is a hotly anticipated IPO of 2017 and is valued at $68 billion, according to Forbes. Despite this, an April 2017 report by The Information suggests recent controversies surrounding the company have lowered its value to roughly $50 billion.
In July 2016, the company completed a milestone two billion rides, and a few of those have been given by Kalanick himself. During a 2015 interview on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” he admitted he sometimes drives an Uber for fun and has a perfect, five-star rating.
The forward-thinking CEO has also invested in the research of driverless cars, as he believes this is the way of the future. Beyond ride-sharing, he’s also guided the onset food-delivery service Uber Eats.
Find Out: Can These Companies Really Be the Next Uber?
Travis Kalanick’s Personal Life
The Uber CEO is living the bachelor life. He previously dated street violinist Gabi Holzwarth for nearly two years. Page Six reported their breakup in August 2016.
Kalanick has no children, but he did share a Goldendoodle named Yobu with Holzwarth. Named after Uber’s now-defunct China brand, it’s unknown who got custody of the dog in the breakup.
In addition to the turmoil Kalanick faced at work, he’s also dealing with the recent death of his mother. His parents were involved in a boating accident on Memorial Day weekend that tragically took his mother’s life and left his father seriously injured. In June 1 Facebook post, he revealed to his nearly 23,000 followers that his father was on the mend.
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