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Travis Kalanick
Former CEO of Uber
Tech Bro Who Built a Ruthless Company Culture and Evaded Regulators
Overview
Travis Kalanick co-founded Uber and built it into a global ride-hailing giant through a corporate culture that systematically flouted regulations, surveilled competitors and journalists, and created a toxic workplace. He was forced out as CEO in 2017 after a cascade of scandals involving sexual harassment, labor exploitation, regulatory evasion, and a massive data breach cover-up.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Built a corporate culture that tolerated and enabled sexual harassment; former engineer Susan Fowlers blog post exposed systemic problems
Uber used "Greyball" software to identify and evade law enforcement officials trying to cite drivers for operating illegally
Company operated "Hell" program to spy on Lyft drivers and track competitor strategies
Covered up a 2016 data breach affecting 57 million users; paid hackers $100,000 to delete data and keep quiet instead of notifying affected users
Classified drivers as independent contractors to avoid providing benefits, overtime, or minimum wage protections
Uber reportedly obtained the medical records of a woman who was raped by an Uber driver in India; Kalanick and executives allegedly questioned her credibility
Created toxic "bro culture" that tolerated bullying, discrimination, and retaliation against employees who raised concerns
Related Investigations (2)
Known Associates & Connections
Dara Khosrowshahi
Successor CEO who attempted to reform Uber culture while dealing with legacy scandals
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Susan Fowler: Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year at Uber (Blog Post)(2017)
FTC: Uber Data Breach Settlement(2018)
New York Times: Uber Greyball Investigation(2017)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1976-08-06
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California
- Also Known As
- TK
Education
- •Attended University of California, Los Angeles (dropped out, 1998)
Key Timeline
2009
Co-founded Uber
2014-12
Uber driver in India accused of raping a passenger; company allegedly obtained victims medical records
2016-11
Massive data breach affecting 57 million users; Uber paid hackers to conceal it
2017-02
Susan Fowler published blog post exposing systemic sexual harassment at Uber
2017-03
New York Times revealed Greyball program used to evade law enforcement
2017-06
Forced to resign as CEO after investor revolt over culture scandals
2018-09
Uber paid $148 million to settle data breach cover-up with all 50 states