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WeWork Inc.

Flexible workspaceFounded 2010
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded WeWork?

Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann · Founded 2010 · HQ today: New York, New York, United States

Who founded WeWork?

WeWork was founded by Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann in 2010. It is now led by John Santora.

Founders
Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey, Rebekah Neumann
Founded
2010
Headquarters
New York, New York, United States
Number of founders
3
Current CEO
John Santora (since 2024)
Where was WeWork founded?
WeWork was founded in New York, New York, United States in 2010.
When was WeWork founded?
WeWork was founded in 2010.
Who started WeWork?
WeWork was founded by Adam Neumann, Miguel McKelvey and Rebekah Neumann.
How old is WeWork?
WeWork is 16 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey started GreenDesk, an eco-friendly coworking space in Brooklyn, in 2008. In 2010 they sold it and founded WeWork, whose first location in SoHo, Manhattan opened in April 2011. The company expanded quickly in New York and then internationally, raising money from Benchmark, JPMorgan, T. Rowe Price, and others. SoftBank's Vision Fund invested $4.4 billion in 2017, and a January 2019 SoftBank investment valued WeWork at $47 billion. The August 2019 S-1 filing showed heavy losses, large lease obligations, and governance arrangements that favored Neumann, including a $5.9 million payment for the "We" trademark. Investors balked, the IPO was withdrawn in September 2019, and Neumann resigned as CEO. WeWork later listed through a merger with BowX Acquisition Corp. in October 2021 but filed for Chapter 11 two years later.

Adam Neumann

Co-founder 2010

Background

Israeli-born entrepreneur who served in the Israeli Navy and moved to New York, where he co-founded GreenDesk with Miguel McKelvey in 2008.

Role at WeWork Inc.

Adam Neumann co-founded WeWork in 2010 and was CEO until September 2019. He led its rapid expansion and fundraising, including SoftBank's 2017 and 2019 investments. Governance problems disclosed in the 2019 S-1 led investors to force his resignation, and he later received a SoftBank package reported at about $1.7 billion. During the 2024 bankruptcy he made an unsuccessful bid to buy back the company.

Adam Neumann was born in 1979 in Beersheba. Education: Baruch College; Zicklin School of Business.

Miguel McKelvey

Co-founder 2010

Background

Architect who previously worked on the design of American Apparel stores and co-founded Green Desk with Adam Neumann.

Role at WeWork Inc.

Miguel McKelvey (born 1974) co-founded WeWork in 2010. As the Chief Culture Officer and lead architect, he was responsible for the distinct, highly aesthetic interior design that defined WeWork's brand globally. He managed the physical build-out of hundreds of locations before stepping down in 2020 following the company's failed IPO.

Education: University of Oregon; South Eugene High School.

McKelvey is an American businessman born in 1974 and is described as WeWork's former chief culture officer.

Rebekah Neumann

Co-founder 2010

Background

Cornell University graduate and Adam Neumann's wife; WeWork's 2019 S-1 listed her as a co-founder and Chief Brand & Impact Officer.

Role at WeWork Inc.

Rebekah Neumann was described in WeWork's 2019 IPO filing as a co-founder and served as Chief Brand & Impact Officer. She also led WeGrow, the company's private school, and resigned as its CEO in September 2019. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

WeWork Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

John Santora

Chief Executive Officer

2024 – Present

He leads the effort to rebuild enterprise trust and achieve actual profitability now that the company is unburdened by its legacy debt.

David Tolley

CEO

2023 – 2024

He successfully navigated the bankruptcy process, wiping out $4 billion in pre-petition debt and handing ownership to the company's creditors.

Sandeep Mathrani

CEO

2020 – 2023

Despite cutting massive amounts of operational overhead, he could not overcome the structural impairment caused by the shift to remote work before resigning in 2023.

Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham

Co-CEOs

2019 – 2020

They initiated the massive sell-off of Neumann's non-core acquisitions (like Wavegarden and Meetup) and halted the aggressive signing of new leases.

Adam Neumann

Co-founder and CEO

2010 – 2019

He built the most famous co-working brand in the world but was ousted in 2019 after the S-1 filing revealed massive financial losses and erratic corporate governance, leading to a canceled IPO.

Keep researching WeWork

Who Founded WeWork? FAQ

Who were the founders of WeWork?

WeWork was founded in 2010 in New York City by Israeli entrepreneur Adam Neumann, American architect Miguel McKelvey, and Rebekah Neumann.

What business did the founders run before WeWork?

In 2008 in Brooklyn, New York, Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey founded GreenDesk, an eco-friendly shared workspace concept, which they subsequently sold to their landlord before launching WeWork in Manhattan.

What was Adam Neumann's background and early life?

Born in 1979 in Israel, Adam Neumann grew up on a kibbutz, served as an officer in the Israeli Navy, moved to New York in 2001, and launched several startups (including baby clothing brand Krawlers) before entering real estate.

What was Miguel McKelvey's role at WeWork?

Miguel McKelvey, who grew up in an intentional collective community in Oregon, was an architect who designed WeWork's original spaces, established its architectural language, and served as Chief Culture Officer until 2020.

What was Rebekah Neumann's contribution to the company?

Rebekah Neumann served as Chief Brand and Impact Officer and founded WeGrow, WeWork's short-lived private elementary school initiative in Manhattan.

How did Adam Neumann persuade SoftBank to invest billions?

Neumann captivated SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son in 2017 with a 28-minute tour of WeWork headquarters, presenting WeWork as a high-margin tech platform and communal lifestyle movement rather than a real estate sub-lessor.

What new venture did Adam Neumann launch after WeWork?

In 2022, Adam Neumann launched Flow, a residential real estate startup focused on community-oriented apartment buildings, which secured $350 million in venture funding from Andreessen Horowitz.

How were the founders depicted in popular culture?

The meteoric rise and fall of WeWork and its founders was chronicled in the bestselling book 'The Cult of We' and the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ drama series 'WeCrashed' starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.