Downsizing WeWork with Smosh's Ian Hecox and Courtney Miller | 36

The Big Flop

Wondery

Society & Culture, Comedy, Business

4.6 • 884 Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Can the office also be a party? Would you really want it to be? For WeWork’s CEO and founder Adam Neumann, the answer was an unequivocal, hell yes! Neumann propelled his co-working space empire to incredible heights and a valuation over $45B, all while throwing nonstop ragers, hot boxing his private jet, and arm wrestling with Jared Kushner. But when the rent came due, Neumann couldn’t cook the books any further - not even in his personal infrared sauna - and the party was over.

Ian Hecox and Courtney Miller from Smosh share a desk with Misha to give WeWork its annual performance review.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to the Big Flop early and ad-free.
0:05.3	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:19.7	The sun sets below the Manhattan skyline as a gaggle of office workers edge closer and closer to losing their minds.
0:32.8	These are journalists working for the newspaper The Guardian, And while they scramble to hit deadlines,
0:40.4	it's become impossible to concentrate. Booming through the office is the JZ song Empire State of
0:48.6	Mind. This is because The Guardian is sharing office space with another very noisy tenant,
0:56.9	a company called WeWork.
1:01.0	The employees at WeWork are generally a rowdy bunch,
1:05.6	but things get out of control whenever Adam Newman, their beloved founder, gives an inspirational speech.
1:15.3	Tonight's was a doozy, followed by cheers, tequila shops, and Jay-Z tracks.
1:22.8	One of the Guardian reporters can't take it anymore. They shout to the we work employees,
1:29.4	Shut up!
1:31.0	Adam doesn't miss a beat and shouts back,
1:33.7	You shut up!
1:35.2	Another reporter walks up to the young CEO and asks,
1:39.5	Can you please turn down the music?
1:43.3	Adam doesn't respond.
1:45.2	Instead, he looks her in the eyes, turns up the volume,
1:49.5	and mimes stacking dollar bills into his hands.
1:53.8	He may be an asshole, but he's not wrong.
1:58.2	Wework is swimming in money. For a time, it's the most valuable private company
2:05.6	in the entire country. Before long, Adam will be out of the company. Thousands of people will be
	...

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