Benchmark partner Bill Gurley (left) and former CEO Travis Kalanick. Photos by Bloomberg.
Exclusive
Uber/Lyft

Kalanick Took Steps to Regain Board Control at Uber

Photo: Benchmark partner Bill Gurley (left) and former CEO Travis Kalanick. Photos by Bloomberg.

Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick recently asked some former colleagues, including early employees still at the company, whether they would support him in a potential shareholder battle, according to one person with direct knowledge of the effort and two people briefed about it. The requests were the latest indication that Mr. Kalanick has explored how to reassert control over the company and its board after he was forced to resign six weeks ago.

Last week, Uber’s board approved rules forbidding board members from contacting Uber employees for information or assistance unless otherwise approved by the board. The decision followed a formal request in the form of a letter to the board from Uber’s management team. The management letter was triggered by Mr. Kalanick’s discussions with former colleagues that alarmed some employees, a person familiar with the matter said.

Get access to exclusive coverage
Read deeply reported stories from the largest newsroom in tech.
Latest Articles
 
SPAC Boom Helps Tech Founders Cement Control
Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden. Photo by Bloomberg.
When scooter-rental startup Bird goes public later this year, CEO Travis VanderZanden won’t have to worry about the firm’s uncertain prospects emboldening activist shareholders. As part of the merger with a special purpose acquisition company that is taking Bird public, VanderZanden negotiated the right to maintain control through a special class of shares that give him 20 votes per...
Latest Briefs
 
Alibaba Says Will Develop an Autonomous Truck
Singapore’s Grab Pushes Back Target Date for $40 Billion SPAC Merger
Starz Sues Disney Over Star+
Stay in the know
Receive a summary of the day's top tech news—distilled into one email.
Access on the go
View stories on our mobile app and tune into our weekly podcast.
Join live video Q&A’s
Deep-dive into topics like startups and autonomous vehicles with our top reporters and other executives.
Enjoy a clutter-free experience
Read without any banner ads.
Shoppers in front of the Tesla showroom at a shopping plaza in Shanghai, China, in March. Photo by Bloomberg.
Exclusive
Tesla’s China Orders Halved in May, Internal Data Show, As Crisis Deepens
Tesla vehicle orders in China fell by nearly half in May compared to April, according to internal data, as the electric car pioneer grappled with public outcry and government criticism over its handling of consumer complaints.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Photo by Bloomberg
Exclusive
Disney’s Cancellation of Hulu Overseas Push Triggers Feud with Comcast
Tensions between Disney and Comcast over their joint ownership of Hulu are heating up. The two companies are feuding over Disney’s decision last year to not launch Hulu overseas, a move that Comcast believes undermined its growth potential and valuation.
Podcast
Amazon’s Next Chapter — The 411 Podcast
Amazon has been making big moves in Hollywood. What does that tell us about the company’s new CEO Andy Jassy?
Javier Soltero, general manager of Google Workspace, speaks during an online-only Google developer conference in May. Photo by Bloomberg
Exclusive Startups Google
Google Responds to Remote Work Boom, Microsoft With Workspace App Improvements
Like other companies, Google had never seen anything like the demand for its video-calling and other productivity tools until the pandemic, which suddenly turned a big chunk of the population into remote workers.
Crayta's promotional art. Image by Unit 2 Games
Reality Check Facebook Apple
TI Reality Check: Oculus Store Irony and Metaverse M&A
It’s Apple’s big day. As I write, executives are unveiling the latest hardware and software updates at its annual developer conference.
Jony Ive in 2019. Photo by AP
Exclusive
Ex-Apple Design Boss Jony Ive Recruited at Least Five Former Colleagues to New Firm
Wan Si, a 16-year veteran of Apple’s famed design team who worked on numerous Apple app icons, buttons and home screens, recently joined the consulting firm founded by Apple’s former design chief Jonathan Ive, The Information has learned.