In a Classic Case of Men Failing Upward, Adam Neumann’s Back to Build the “Future of Living”

The comeback tour continues

Image: Edited by author

First, he created a co-working company (sorry, a “tech” company) that hit a peak valuation of $47 billion.

Then he created a residential real estate branch called WeLive, in an attempt to disrupt apartment living.

Then he created a WeGrow to keep his wife happy, a school that threw out the typical curriculum to instead feed children’s souls and “unleash every person’s superpower.”

Then, he elevated the world’s consciousness.

And then, he blew it all up in spectacular fashion (and didn’t elevate the world’s consciousness. Though he did buy a wave pool.)

Adam Neumann’s WeWork adventure effectively set fire to millions of investor’s dollars. In return, the founder jetted off with riches beyond belief, leaving long-time employees holding worthless stocks and the company bleeding staggering amounts of money. His track record, which also includes a failed baby clothes company, should be a massive red flag to investors and should have closed the free-flowing tap once and for all.

And yet, like so often is the case, once the dust had settled, people moved on. We forgot about the Neumanns. We forgot about the private jets, the crazy company retreats, the countless homes, and the fact WeWork is still crippled to this day. And in that opportune moment, the prodigal son of entrepreneurship reappeared, choosing an industry ripe for grifters like himself — the blockchain. His comeback tour started with a company called Flowcarbon, which aimed to sell “Goddess Nature Tokens” that would allow companies to buy tokenized carbon credits to reduce their carbon footprint.

Did it work?

Of course not.

Despite taking in more investor money — including from Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z which pumped in $70 million — the project has been “paused indefinitely,” just two months after its announcement.

This resounding success should add another black mark on his report card.

But, in a classic case of men failing upward, Neumann seems to have moved on already and is back with yet…