_________The word huckster has appeared in 16 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 2 in “Adam Neumann and the Art of Failing Up” by Amy Chozick:The last 80 days have seen an implosion unlike any other in the history of start-ups. WeWork filed for an initial public offering with a prospectus that was quickly ridiculed for its incoherence; investors learned of several red-flag financial arrangements by Mr. Neumann; the company’s valuation plummeted; Mr. Neumann was forced to resign; and the I.P.O. Once estimated to be worth $47 billion, WeWork was reduced to $7 billion, after a rescue by the Japanese giant SoftBank. Whether Mr. Neumann was hailed as a visionary or denigrated as a huckster, he had always maintained a powerful hold on voting power within WeWork. To get control of his stake, SoftBank decided, it had to pay up.

Source: New York Times September 24, 2020 06:00 UTC