Not all CEOs are created equal. This could be the understatement of the year when it comes to WeWork CEO Adam Neumann, a rather eccentric fellow, to say the least.
The Wall Street Journal recently published a feature about Neumann and his unorthodox leadership style fittingly dubbed, ‘This Is Not the Way Everybody Behaves.’ How Adam Neumann’s Over-the-Top Style Built WeWork.’
While there were some fascinating tidbits, perhaps the one that stood out the most — at least to cannabis consumers — is how the WeWork CEO allegedly smoked and brought weed on a flight to Israel. Unsurprisingly, much like his management style, it was pretty bizarre, to say the least.
How the WeWork CEO Allegedly Smoked and Brought Weed on a Flight to Israel
According to the Wall Street Journal report, the WeWork co-founder and a group of friends took a Gulfstream G650 private jet to Israel last summer. Neumann and his friends were casually smoking cannabis throughout the ride.
But that’s not the best part.
Once the group disembarked the aircraft, the plane’s crew “found a sizeable chunk of the drug stuffed in a cereal box for the return flight.” Like any intelligent toker with a bit of foresight, Neumann was clearly thinking in the long-term.
Considering the burgeoning legal cannabis industry, this is hardly an indicting incident. There are, after all, similar co-working spaces—modeled after WeWork—that cater to cannabis smokers. However, it does give some insight into the eccentricities of one of the world’s fastest-growing companies’ CEO.
In addition to that marijuana-laced anecdote, there were a number of other, err, quirky stories about the 40-year-old billionaire.
One particularly odd incident the WSJ recounted happened after one of the company’s mass layoffs. A few weeks after Neumann cut ties with roughly seven percent of his staff, he addressed his remaining employees about the incident over tequila shots…and Run DMC.
“Employees carrying trays of plastic shot glasses filled with tequila came into the room, followed by toasts and drinks,” the report said. “Soon after, Daryl McDaniels of hip-hop group Run DMC entered the room, embraced Mr. Neumann, and played a set for the staff. “
Obviously, the song was “It’s Tricky.”
The publication also noted the CEO once claimed that “if he ran for anything, it would be president of the world.”
Nuemann and his company have, perhaps unsurprisingly, refused comment on the Journal’s report. Considering the company is set to go public soon, it’s likely a “tricky” situation for all parties involved (Nailed it).
