Travis Kalanick, the CEO of Uber, has issued an apology following the release of a video that saw him angrily argue with an Uber Black driver over the amount the driver would lose thanks to upcoming fare cuts.
The video, captured by in-car security footage and obtained by Bloomberg, shows Kalanick and two unidentified acquaintances riding in a car before the car pulls up and the driver begins to interact with his big boss.
The conversation begins reasonably calm and cordial, with Kalanick explaining to the driver – identified as Fawzi Kamel – changes being made for drivers in the Uber Black service. But when Kamel questions the issue of pay – including the allegation that fare reductions have cost Kamel somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000 – things get a bit heated.
Kalanick addresses Kamel’s complaints by telling him that “some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own shit. They blame everything in their life on somebody else.” Have a watch:
In a post in their news section titled ‘A profound apology‘, Uber shared an email Kalanick sent out to all employees today. Kalanick said he was “ashamed” of his behaviour and a sign that he needs to change:
“It’s clear this video is a reflection of me—and the criticism we’ve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time I’ve been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it.”
You can read the full statement below:
“By now I’m sure you’ve seen the video where I treated an Uber driver disrespectfully. To say that I am ashamed is an extreme understatement. My job as your leader is to lead…and that starts with behaving in a way that makes us all proud. That is not what I did, and it cannot be explained away.“It’s clear this video is a reflection of me—and the criticism we’ve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time I’ve been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it.“I want to profoundly apologize to Fawzi, as well as the driver and rider community, and to the Uber team.“- Travis”
Source and photo: Bloomberg.
