Uber CEO apologizes for argument caught on video, admits he needs to grow up

Travis Kalanick, the chief executive and co-founder of Uber Technologies Inc., apologized late Tuesday after a video surfaced of him getting into a shouting match with one of his company’s drivers, and said that he needed leadership help.

Travis Kalanick, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc.

The argument was captured on the dash cam of Uber driver Fawzi Kamel during a drive in San Francisco on Feb. 5. In it, Kamel complains about how Uber’s lower fares have hurt his income.

“I lost money — $7,000 — because of you,” Kamel said. “I’m bankrupt because of you.”

“Bulls—,” Kalanick replied. “You know what. . . some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own s—,” Kalanick said before slamming the door on his way out. “They blame everything in their life on someone else.”

“To say that I am ashamed is an extreme understatement,” Kalanick said in a statement to employees Tuesday. “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.”
The apology caps a rough month for Uber and Kalanick. Early in February, an estimated 200,000 people deleted its app in an online protest over Uber’s actions during protests at New York’s JFK airport, pressuring Kalanick to quit President Donald Trump’s economic advisory board.

On Feb. 19, a former Uber engineer accused the company of rampant sexual harassment and bias, and more stories of an out-of-control workplace soon emerged. Kalanick announced an investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, into its corporate climate. And Monday, Uber fired a software executive for failing to disclose sexual harassment allegations against him at his former job.