Public transcript

Adam Neumann

By: Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
Length: 2 h 59 min
Language: English
Text from: the video's captions
Transcribed: 3 October 2026

Read the full transcript Open on YouTube

Notes in English.

Summary

Adam Neumann talks with Rick Rubin about his childhood in Israel and a kibbutz, the founding of GreenDesk and WeWork, his spiritual practice with Rebecca, and the 2016 SoftBank deal that he says shifted the company from mission to growth. He recounts the failed IPO, stepping down, the debt crisis, the settlement with SoftBank, and the Apple TV show. He closes with his new company Flow, which aims to solve loneliness and ownership in residential living, and with his practice of Shabbat.

Key points

Neumann moved 13 times as a child and lived longest in a kibbutz, where he first felt safe in community and found the inspiration for WeWork.
Rebecca pushed him toward a spiritual practice, and his first Kabbalah class taught him to pause instead of reacting, which he says changed his life.
GreenDesk launched in May 2008 and filled its first floor 92% within five business days using five Craigslist ads.
The name WeWork came from Andrew Finkelstein at 2 a.m. after six months of searching: 'It's not I, it's we.'
In 2016 Masa Son offered $3 billion, then $4 billion, in a 28-minute car ride; Neumann signed on the spot and says the company shifted from mission to growth and valuation.
After the failed 2019 IPO, his bank called his shares and demanded $435 million within 15 days; SoftBank eventually paid the debt and bought his controlling shares.
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz invested $350 million cash alongside Neumann's $350 million in real estate equity to form Flow, with a rule: when one buys, both buy.
Flow now has nine buildings, four in the US and five in Saudi Arabia, and spends more on technology than real estate, rebuilding residential architecture from scratch.
Neumann calls keeping Shabbat his biggest spiritual move and recommends everyone try 24 hours without a phone.
A sign on a Flow building reading 'What if it all goes right?' went viral with 22.5 million views; it was Rebecca's idea.

Questions it answers

00:00Morning routine

How does Adam Neumann start his day?

He wakes at 5:30 a.m., does light yoga and hip openers by candlelight, breathes through his nose for 20 minutes, then puts on tefillin and prays for 15 minutes before waking his kids. He cherishes that 5:30 to 7:00 window as Adam time.

Meditation is listening; prayer is speaking.
He was doing too much speaking and now craves listening.

01:57Childhood and kibbutz

Where did the idea of community come from?

Moving 13 times as the new kid, he made friends with the uncool kids. The kibbutz, where he lived 5 years, was the first place he felt safe, with neighbors checking on him during hard nights at home. That community feeling became the seed for WeWork.

His mother was diagnosed bipolar years later.
A roof party he threw with his sister Adi in 2007 showed him kibbutz energy could be a US business.

20:30Rebecca and Kabbalah

How did Rebecca change his life?

She told him the man for her would have a spiritual practice and suggested Kabbalah. His first class taught him to pause instead of reacting, and trying it once with an angry saleswoman worked, making him spiritually hungry.

She observed he loved real estate because he always looked up at buildings.
He proposed 3 months after meeting her.

36:21GreenDesk and WeWork

How did WeWork begin?

After three failed businesses, a landlord named Mr. Guttman offered him a floor; the idea for shared office space came instantly. GreenDesk launched May 2008, filled 92% of its first floor in five days, and grew floor by floor. Guttman bought them out, and Miguel McKelvey and Neumann spent 6 months naming the new company until Andrew Finkelstein said 'WeWork' at 2 a.m.

Constraints drove the cheapest build in WeWork history.
Growth reached two buildings a day in 130 cities and 72 languages.

1:29:17SoftBank and the fall

What happened with Masa Son and the 2019 IPO?

In 2016 Masa turned a $300 million ask into a $4 billion deal in 28 minutes, which Neumann signed on the spot; he says the company then chased growth and valuation over mission. A 2018 $20 billion buyout fell apart, the 2019 IPO failed, and his bank called his shares demanding $435 million in 15 days after he stepped down.

He says he should have paused before signing, his first Kabbalah lesson.
Masa eventually paid the debt and bought his controlling shares for about $100 million.

1:41:40Rock bottom and rescue

How did he survive the collapse?

Depressed and crying at 5 a.m., he was supported by Rebecca, who offered to move to her mother's mortgage-free house and homeschool the kids. His spiritual teacher reminded him belief is measured when everything goes wrong, and SoftBank's Marcelo paid his debt in full.

Rebecca told him she found him sexier broke.
He went from 13,000 employees to three.

1:58:35Media narrative and the TV show

What was it like losing control of his story?

By stepping down he gave away his narrative, and false stories spread. Marc Andreessen called and told him he was the only company in the portfolio every startup used. Jared Leto met him, said the show was meant as a takedown, and promised to play him as a rock star; after it aired, inbound interest flooded in.

He never faced charges; it was all innuendo.
Rebecca was smeared worse, portrayed as incompetent because she was a woman.

2:09:24Settlement and Flow

How did the SoftBank fight end and what is Flow?

After litigation, SoftBank settled and paid the money into his account hours before his son Moses was born. Flow, backed by Andreessen and Horowitz with $350 million cash against his $350 million in real estate equity, tackles loneliness and ownership with nine buildings and technology built from scratch.

Rule with a16z: when you buy, we buy.
The Brickell building is filling at five times market speed; 'What if it all goes right?' went viral with 22.5 million views.

Notes

Childhood and the Kibbutz

Born in Israel, moved 13 times; always the new kid, drawn to other kids with no friends.
Lived 5 years in a kibbutz, the place he felt safe for the first time; his mother, later diagnosed as bipolar, worked as the night doctor.
Learned English in Indiana by saying "peanut butter and jelly" for two months before daring to say "hot dog."

Rebecca and Spirituality

Met Rebecca through Andrew Finkelstein; proposed after 3 months.
She told him the man for her would have a spiritual practice and took him to a Kabbalah class.
The first lesson: pause, wait and wonder, instead of reacting. He tried it once with a difficult saleswoman and it worked.

GreenDesk and WeWork

Landlord Mr. Guttman gave him a floor; GreenDesk launched May 2008 and filled 92% in five days via Craigslist ads.
Guttman bought them out; Miguel McKelvey and Neumann spent 6 months on the name until Andrew Finkelstein said "It's not I, it's we. WeWork."
Growth reached two buildings a day in 130 cities, 50 countries, 72 languages.

SoftBank and the Fall

In 2016 Masa Son turned a $300 million ask into a $4 billion deal in 28 minutes; Neumann signed on the spot.
He says the company switched from mission to growth, money, and valuation.
The 2019 IPO failed; his bank called his shares, demanding $435 million in 15 days.
His spiritual teacher reminded him "the darkest moment of the night is a second before dawn." SoftBank paid the debt and bought his shares.

Flow

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz invested $350 million cash against Neumann's $350 million in real estate equity; rule: when one buys, both buy.
Flow has nine buildings and spends more on technology than real estate, rebuilding residential architecture from scratch with CTO Scott.
Aims to solve loneliness and ownership; the Brickell building is filling at five times market speed.