WeWork shows more big losses in its first earnings report as a public company

NEW YORK (NYT) - WeWork reported its first quarterly results as a public company Monday, revealing that its coworking business is still racking up big losses and hemorrhaging cash. But WeWork pointed to an uptick in customer leasing activity in the quarter as evidence that it was positioned to do well in office-space markets that had been upended by the pandemic. WeWork, which became public through a merger last month with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, reported a net loss of US$802 million in the third quarter, an improvement on the loss of US$941 million in the same period a year earlier. WeWork's revenue, however, declined to US$661 million in the latest third quarter, from US$811 million a year earlier. The company reduced its loss by cutting its expenses significantly. WeWork leases huge amounts of office space and then charges its customers - large companies, small businesses and individuals - to use it. Customers might prefer being in a WeWork space because the lease agreements are shorter than for traditional office space, allowing for more flexibility. But the drawback for WeWork is that its customers can move out on short notice. WeWork was on the brink o...

WeWork reports quarterly loss of $2.7b ahead of public listing

BENGALURU (REUTERS) - SoftBank-backed office-sharing startup WeWork on Thursday (May 20) reported a first-quarter net loss of US$2.06 billion (S$2.74 billion), as it was hit by restructuring charges while it prepares to go public through a merger with a blank-check firm. WeWork said its business was recovering as more people returned to offices due to easing of Covid-19 curbs, after work-from-home arrangements last year weighed heavily on the company by reducing occupancy and increasing operating costs. Total occupancy ticked up to 50 per cent in the first quarter compared to 47 per cent in the fourth quarter, the company said. WeWork in March agreed to go public through a merger with BowX Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company, in a deal that valued it at US$9 billion. SoftBank Group said it would retain a majority stake in the company after the merger. The company, whose attempt at an initial public offering in 2019 spectacularly imploded due to investor concerns over its business model and co-founder Adam Neumann's management style, said first-quarter revenue nearly halved to US$598 million from a year ago. WeWork said it had 490,000 members in the first quarter, com...

WeWork to go public through Spac deal with $12 trillion valuation

NEW YORK (AFP) - WeWork announced on Friday (March 26) it plans to enter public markets through a merger transaction that raises US$1.3 billion (S$1.75 billion), valuing the office-sharing firm at a fraction of the sum discussed in its unsuccessful pre-pandemic effort to go public. The move comes two years after the former high-flying office-sharing company went into a spectacular tailspin that led to the cancelling of a planned public share offering and a bailout by Japanese investment firm SoftBank. But with changed leadership, WeWork said its "flexible space" model positions the company for the needs of the post-pandemic working world after exiting underperforming locations and cutting thousands of jobs compared with its earlier incarnation. WeWork said it aims for the deal to be closed by the third quarter, according to a securities filing. "SoftBank has always seen the potential in WeWork's core business to disrupt the commercial real estate industry and reimagine the workplace. Today, we take another step towards making that vision a reality," said Marcelo Claure, the SoftBank CEO and executive chairman of WeWork. "The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work, and W...

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WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann nears settlement with SoftBank: Source

BENGALURU (REUTERS) - WeWork co-founder and former chief executive Adam Neumann is nearing a settlement with SoftBank Group that could include a nearly US$500 million (S$660.8 million) cut in his payout from the office space-sharing company's new owner, according to a person familiar with the matter. The settlement would put to rest a prolonged legal battle between Neumann and Softbank, which dates back to 2019 when WeWork's IPO plans fell apart. It would also clear the decks for WeWork as it pursues a talks to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). SoftBank had agreed in October 2019 to purchase around US$3 billion in WeWork stock belonging to Mr Neumann as well current and former WeWork employees. SoftBank later contested its obligation to purchase the shares. Under the new proposed terms, SoftBank would purchase around half the shares it had originally agreed to buy, the source said, requesting anonymity as the matter is private. SoftBank declined to comment. WeWork was not immediately available for comment. The talks were reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal. SoftBank, which poured more than US$13.5 billion into WeWork, was pulled i...

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WeWork losses mount but ‘seismic shift’ in office use seen helping recovery

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - WeWork Companies' revenue declined in the third quarter but its cash burn slowed, a company memo showed on Thursday (Nov 12), with management confident the shared-workplace provider can weather the hit to the office sector from Covid-19. Quarterly revenue slid 8 per cent from the second quarter to US$811 million (S$1.09 billion), while the company posted cash burn of US$517 million, less than US$671 million a quarter ago, WeWork said in a memo to employees seen by Reuters. WeWork also said it successfully exited 66 locations that were open or were to be opened and that it amended 150 lease arrangements that resulted in an estimated reduction of US$1.5 billion in long-term liabilities. WeWork said member retention improved and renewal rates stabilized with the loss of desks in September at its lowest level since March when Covid-19 shut down businesses around the world and left offices vacant. The pandemic has accelerated a "seismic shift" in the office sector that has put flexibility - an industry byword for the short-term leases the company embraces - and WeWork at the forefront, the memo signed by chief executive Sandeep Mathrani and chief financial officer B...