It feels quite funny to be writing about WeWork, as I'm currently writing this newsletter from my WeWork office in Manhattan.
If you have not heard by now, WeWork––the coworking space provider––declared bankruptcy last week. As a company, WeWork has gone through quite a rollercoaster ride. Literally––up from a $48 billion valuation in 2019, all the way down to $45 million today.
Now, this is not really a shock as many companies, especially tech companies faced a similar collapse in 2022 (PayPal, Meta, Netflix, etc.). This is a typical Saturn-Uranus phenomenon.
But Saturn-Uranus is not the reason why I'm digging into WeWork today. WeWork's sparkling growth has a lot to do with the Jupiter-Uranus transit.
In 2017, during the peak of the Jupiter-Uranus opposition, WeWork raised $4.4 billion from the SoftBank Vision Fund at a valuation of approximately $20 billion.
Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank was totally enamored by WeWork's CEO, Adam Neuuman's charisma.
While WeWork seemed to be growing through the high number of office/building leases Neuuman was signing, the demand for co-working never reached the level at which WeWork was making acquisitions. Physical growth (property leases) was mistakenly seen as financial growth (WeWork members).
In 2019, during the Saturn-Pluto alignment (rigid conservatism, reactionary authority, etc.), Masayoshi Son and Adam Neuuman had to face the grim reality––WeWork could no longer ride high on unlimited free alcohol, it desperately needed to become a profitable company. So Neuuman stepped down as CEO and Son lost $11.5. billion along with his credibility as an astute investor.
When SoftBank invested in WeWork for the first time in 2017, everything seemed perfect. Jupiter-Uranus transits come with that "wow this is phenomenal" vibe. However, in its shadow, it also expresses: excessive gambling and/or optimism, sudden fame and wealth––too much too fast, and disastrously overconfident risk-taking. Sounds a lot like what happened with WeWork right?
If you're interested to learn more about the WeWork story, I highly recommend watching the Apple TV+ series WeCrashed, starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.
As the Jupiter-Uranus transit unfolds into the Spring of 2024, enjoy the peak experiences but also be cautious of the crash that comes with the thrilling highs.
We're all in this together. Let's participate deeply, and co-create with the mesmerizing cosmos.