Former Uber boss and co-founder Travis Kalanick will step down from the company's board of directors on December 31, the car booking platform said on Tuesday. Accused of having encouraged questionable and brutal managerial practices, against a background of sexism and harassment at work, Mr. Kalanick had already had to give up his role as group chief executive in June 2017.
“Uber has been part of my life for the past ten years. As the decade draws to a close, it felt like a good time for me to focus on my current activities and philanthropic endeavors. "said Kalanick in the press release.
In March 2018, Mr. Kalanick announced the creation of an investment fund to finance for-profit and non-profit projects. Called "10100", this fund is intended to invest in the real estate sector, online commerce and in innovative projects in China and India.
A snowy evening in Paris
A sign that the former boss wanted to distance himself from Uber in November, documents filed with the stock market policeman had shown that he had sold 21% of his shares for some 547 million dollars. The Uber platform had 101 million monthly active users (+ 26%) in the third quarter, but is struggling to convince the market that it can achieve profitability since its chaotic IPO in early May.
It was in December 2008, with a snowy evening in Paris and when they could not find a taxi, that Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp had the idea of an application putting drivers and customers in touch. In July 2010, UberCab – shortened to Uber in October – put its first passenger in contact with a driver in San Francisco, before launching in Paris the following year.
