WeWork published the S-1 paperwork for its initial public offering on Wednesday, and the business' gargantuan losses of $1.6 billion weren't the only thing to catch people's attention.
Two pages into WeWork's S-1 is a spread bearing the firm's minimalistic logo along, with a strange dedication: "We dedicate this to the energy of we — greater than any of us, but inside each of us."
Journalists and others were quick to snort at the mantra.
—zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 14, 2019
—Anthony DeRosa🗽 (@Anthony) August 14, 2019
—Ellen Huet (@ellenhuet) August 14, 2019
In addition to the mantra, some critics went in on the language inside the S-1, including WeWork's stated goal to "elevate the world's consciousness," and its frequent use of the word "community," which pops up a total of 150 times in the 220-page document.
—Sachin Ravikumar (@sachinr27) August 14, 2019
—rat king (@MikeIsaac) August 14, 2019
—Rob Cox (@rob1cox) August 14, 2019
—Rani Molla (@ranimolla) August 14, 2019
—zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 14, 2019
Cultish, grandiose, and vaguely ridiculous language from tech companies is nothing new, but "the energy of we" has definitely struck a chord as even more preposterous than usual.
Read more of Business Insider's WeWork coverage:
- WeWork just filed to go public — Check out the company's journey from one SoHo building to a $47 billion valuation
- WeWork's founder and CEO didn't take a salary last year as the company prepared for its massive IPO
- WeWork is just one of the businesses owned by the $47 billion company that just filed for its IPO — check out the full list
