Billion Dollar Loser

The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork

By: Reeves Wiedeman

Narrated by: Will Collyer

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

A Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller: This "vivid" inside story of WeWork and its CEO tells the remarkable saga of one of the most audacious, and improbable, rises and falls in American business history (Ken Auletta).

​Christened a potential savior of Silicon Valley's startup culture, Adam Neumann was set to take WeWork, his office share company disrupting the commercial real estate market, public, cash out on the company's forty-seven billion dollar valuation, and break the string of major startups unable to deliver to shareholders. But as employees knew, and investors soon found out, WeWork's capital was built on promises that the company was more than a real estate purveyor, that in fact it was a transformational technology company.

Veteran journalist Reeves Weideman dives deep into WeWork and its CEO's astronomical rise, from the marijuana and tequila-filled board rooms to cult-like company summer camps and consciousness-raising with Anthony Kiedis. Billion Dollar Loser is a character-driven business narrative that captures, through the fascinating psyche of a billionaire founder and his wife and co-founder, the slippery state of global capitalism.

©2020 Reeves Wiedeman (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Vivid, carefully reported drama that readers will gulp down as if it were a fast-paced novel.” (Ken Auletta)

Well Written - Liked Narration

Some folks didn’t like the narrator because of the “surfer dude” voice he puts on for Adam. I actually thought it was appropriate, and the narration overall is excellent.

The book itself is well written, comprehensive, enlightening, and I think ultimately fair. Adam clearly had the energy, passion, and grandiose vision required of an effective leader of a start-up. But he also lacked substance, and had some unpleasant impulses that ultimately undermined his creation, and the team that facilitated it.

Worthwhile read.

Billion Dollar Bullsh***er

This is book is the work of a journalist rather than a biographer. You do get a sense of how lots of wealthy people simply ignored the numbers and fell for Adam Neumann’s total BS (which is truly shocking, given the amounts of money involved - like a Bernie Madoff all over again), but all you ever get told is that he is very tall, is charismatic, is all front office, does not use a computer, is dyslexic, and walks around barefoot. Sometimes, you hear that he can do numbers in his head quickly and calculate how many offices spaces will fit in a building. You never really get a sense of why people believed him, however. Every quote of his (and his wife) sounds like a lame hippie quote. And he bought a private jet for himself, and his family tent at one of those awful bonding company retreats was stocked with so much booze and private beds and fruits that it was more expensive to fit out than any hotel. He charged his own company $6 million to copyright “We.” He was not a genius; everyone else was just really, really dumb.

Great and objective

Not sure why so many negative reviews, I love this book, the author is trying to be neutral. Not flattering doesn't mean the author is mocking Neumann.

Not worshipping a billionaire actually feels refreshing compared to many other books.

Very Good

Great and interesting listen. As someone who knew the story well already, I still found it interesting with many details I wasn’t familiar with. Good for a light and quick listen.

A must read to understand the 2010s hype train

If you loved Bad blood and super pumped, take the time to read/listen to BDL!

A cautionary tale of capitalism and hubris.

The perfect "horror story" with a Happy ending.

Acttually, it's really just a story that sums up some of the challenges in our system.

Cannot wait for the movie.

Fascinating

What a fascinating story; well written and read. Hubris knows no bounds. What a shame! What could have been a massive success story blown away by sheer hubris and misplaced ego.

Gripping storyline

Excellent narration and interesting story. Quite similar to Bad Blood or American Kingpin in its ability to tell an accurate account while ensuring the story is gripping and entertaining.

important story with fantastic narration.

Great important story with terrific narration. enjoyed how he mocks Newman's speech... I don't know if we can do much about this but if we can learning about these sociopathic figures is a good start.

A wild, money-infused ride

Excellent retelling of the WeWork saga. Although the book feels a bit winding at times, the central narrative was an insightful look at how VC funded companies can run wild when unchecked. It also left me warry of Adam and Rebekah's future endeavors (which are sure to come ).