WeWork Announces Completion of $1.5 Billion Funding from SoftBank Group; Board and Governance Changes Become Effective
30.10.2019 23:54:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
The We Company (“WeWork” or the “Company”) and SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) today announced that WeWork has received $1.5 billion in funding, which was an acceleration of the existing payment obligation, approved by WeWork’s shareholders at $11.60 per share. In connection with the completion of the $1.5 billion funding from SoftBank, several governance changes became effective today, including the reconstitution of the WeWork Board of Directors.
As previously announced, the $1.5 billion payment and governance changes are part of an agreement with WeWork that has now been approved by WeWork shareholders, under which SoftBank will provide significant funding to the Company. The financing package includes $5 billion in new debt financing.
“The $1.5 billion in funding that WeWork received today from SoftBank positions the Company for the future and underlines Softbank’s steadfast belief in the business,” said Marcelo Claure, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of WeWork. “WeWork is leading the innovation of a multi-trillion dollar industry, and this financing package enables the company to accelerate the path to profitability and free cash flow generation. I want to thank management, the entire WeWork team, our members, landlords and communities around the world for their continued support and dedication.”
Claure added, “Softbank’s high-conviction investment comes with operational support as well as improved governance. With our expanded Board seats we anticipate appointing two additional directors in the near future.”
Pursuant to the previously announced agreement with WeWork and completion of the accelerated $1.5 billion payment commitment, several governance changes are effective immediately. The Board of WeWork has been reconstituted to include 10 members, initially consisting of:
- Five directors designated by either SoftBank or SoftBank Vision Fund, including Ron Fisher, Marcelo Claure, Steven Langman, and two others to be named at a later date;
- Two directors designated by existing investors Benchmark Capital and Hony Capital, who are Bruce Dunlevie and John Zhao, respectively;
- Two directors not affiliated with WeWork, who are Jeff Sine and Mark Schwartz; and
- One director from the Special Committee of the Board, Lew Frankfort.
Other governance changes, which became effective today include:
- Marcelo Claure today has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Board.
- Adam Neumann has become a Board observer, and the Board has received voting control over his shares.
About The SoftBank Group
The SoftBank Group is a global technology player that aspires to drive the Information Revolution. The SoftBank Group is comprised of the holding company SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984) and its global portfolio of companies, which includes advanced telecommunications, Internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers. In September 2016, Arm Limited, the world's leading semiconductor IP company, joined the SoftBank Group. SoftBank Group Corp. is invested in the SoftBank Vision Fund, which plans to invest up to $100 billion in the global businesses and technologies that the SoftBank Vision Fund believes will enable the next stage of the Information Revolution. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en/.
About WeWork
WeWork provides members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. Its mission is to create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living. As of Q2 2019, WeWork had 528 locations in over 111 cities and 29 countries. Our 527,000 memberships represent global enterprises across multiple industries, including 38% of the Global Fortune 500. We are committed to providing our members around the world with a better day at work for less.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191030006117/en/
Contact information
SoftBank
sbpr@softbank.co.jp
+81 3 6889 2300
or
Ben Spicehandler / Emily Claffey / Hannah Dunning
Sard Verbinnen & Co
212.687.8080
WeWork
Gwen Rocco / Erin Clark
press@wework.com
or
Joele Frank / Meaghan Repko
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212.355.4449
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Swedish Court Further Reschedules Delivery of Judgment in PriceRunner Vs Google Antitrust Case24.6.2026 21:55:00 EEST | Press release
Klarna Group plc (NYSE: KLAR) wishes to update investors that the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, Sweden (Patent- och marknadsdomstolen) has again postponed publication of its judgment in the antitrust damages proceedings brought by PriceRunner, a Klarna subsidiary, against Google. The Court has rescheduled publication of its judgment from June 26, 2026 to July 1, 2026 at 13:00 CET. As with the Court's two previous notifications, the rescheduling is a procedural decision by the Court and relates solely to the timing of the judgment delivery. In its notification, the Court cited high workload as the reason for needing additional time to finalize the judgment. No inference about the outcome should be drawn from it. Important Notice The outcome of the proceedings is inherently uncertain. No assurance can be given that PriceRunner will succeed on liability or quantum. Any award would be subject to appeal by Google, to sharing arrangements with former PriceRunner shareholders and Klar
Vertex Energy Announces 6,000 bpd Group III Base Oil Expansion Project24.6.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Vertex Energy, Inc. (“Vertex” or the “Company”) today announced it is advancing a project at its Mobile, Alabama refinery to produce crude-derived conventional Group III base oils through the Company’s existing hydrocracker and related processing infrastructure, providing lubricant manufacturers and blenders with an additional domestic source of high-quality Group III supply. The project is designed to add an incremental 6,000 barrels per day of conventional Group III production capacity and support production of 4 cSt, 6 cSt, and 8 cSt Group III base oils using an existing crude-derived hydrocracked vacuum gas oil stream produced at the Company’s Mobile, Alabama refinery. Combined with the Company’s existing re-refined Group III base oil production, this additional capacity is expected to make Vertex the leading Group III producer in North America. Vertex has completed preliminary design work and has procured a high-pressure lubricants hydrotreating unit. The Company plans to start pr
Taktile Secures $110M in Goldman Sachs-led Series C to Power AI Transformation in Financial Institutions24.6.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Taktile, the leader in AI transformation for financial institutions, today announced its $110 million Series C fundraise. Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives led the round, with participation from Balderton Capital, Index Ventures, Tiger Global, Y Combinator, and Dig Ventures. Taktile Fast Facts Taktile enables banks and insurers to transform into AI-native organizations that are increasingly powered by autonomous agents. Demand for Taktile accelerated in 2025, as AI models became capable of automating high-stakes decisions that previously required hours of manual work—from underwriting business loans and assessing claims to catching financial crime. Customers automate and optimize decisions with Taktile by combining its financial services expertise and product built for sector-specific AI use cases. One of the world’s largest insurers is running multiple use cases on Taktile, with projected cost efficiencies of over $90M in claims processing alone. Taktile’s team has a proven
New MetLife Study Reveals a 72% “Confidence Gap” in Ability to Recover from Life's Setbacks24.6.2026 16:25:00 EEST | Press release
A new multinational study from MetLife reveals a striking “confidence gap”: while most adults describe themselves as resilient, their confidence drops by 72% when faced with real-life setbacks. The Confident Pathways Report, conducted across the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Mexico, was designed to better understand how confidence is built and sustained throughout life. The findings underscore the role of opportunity, preparedness, and support in building confidence - factors that help people navigate uncertainty, recover from setbacks and pursue their goals. At a time when soccer is bringing people and communities together around the world, the findings also highlight how early childhood experiences such as sports, education, and mentorship can help foster resilience and gain confidence from a young age. Key findings across the four countries surveyed include: Confidence drops by 72% when adults consider their ability to recover from setbacks. Respondents were far more lik
StatLab Launches CytoPath Disc, Advancing Standardized Cell Block Preparation Worldwide24.6.2026 16:08:00 EEST | Press release
StatLab Medical Products, a leading global developer and manufacturer of pathology supplies and equipment, today announced the global launch of the CytoPath Disc, an innovative cell block preparation technology designed to standardize and simplify cell block preparation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260624368623/en/ Developed as an alternative to traditional cell block methods, which convert concentrated cells suspended in fluid into a paraffin-embedded format for slide-based evaluation, the patent‑pending CytoPath Disc offers a more streamlined and efficient approach. The CytoPath Disc absorbs concentrated cells within a simple, sponge-like matrix, which is then processed, embedded, stained, and sectioned using standard histology workflows. Traditional cell block preparation methods often present challenges in achieving consistent results due to complex procedures, as well as the need for additional equipm
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom