Airbnb Details Years of Losses Ahead of Planned IPO

By Dee-Ann Durbin

Airbnb was losing money even before the pandemic struck and cut its revenue by almost a third, the home-sharing company revealed in documents filed Monday ahead of a planned initial public offering of its stock.

The San Francisco-based company has yet set a date for the IPO but it is laying the groundwork by filing financial records with U.S. security regulators.

The documents show that leading up to the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, Airbnb was spending heavily on technology and marketing to grow its business.

Its revenue jumped 32% to $4.8 billion in 2019, but it reported a net loss of $674 million that year. The company also lost money in 2018 and 2017.

This year, Airbnb said, revenue fell 32% to $2.5 billion in the first nine months as travelers canceled their plans after the pandemic crippled travel and forced lockdowns around the world.

Airbnb said it currently has 7.4 million listings run by 4 million hosts worldwide. Eighty-six percent of its hosts are outside the U.S. and 55% are women, the company said.

The company said it had 54 million guests in 2019.

Airbnb was founded 12 years ago by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia — classmates at the Rhode Island School of Design — and Nate Blecharczyk, a software engineer. Their first listing was Chesky and Gebbia’s apartment in San Francisco.

More In Business

The Best Fashions These Days Are — Surprise! —Sustainable as Well

Fast fashion may be becoming a thing of the past as consumers are increasingly turning toward more sustainable fashion choices — and brands listening.

Summer 2024: AAA Forecasts 44M Travelers, Solo Trips, AI, and Taylor Swift

AAA predicts a surge in summer 2024 travel, with 44 million travelers, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Expect more solo trips, AI use, and Taylor Swift.

Impossible Wants Meat Eaters to Add Plant-Based Burgers to Their BBQ

As Americans prepare for a long weekend of grilling, Impossible Foods wants to put aside the culture wars, win over meat eaters – and IPO when it's 'ready.'

Nvidia Earnings Shatter Expectations: ‘It’s Not a Chip Stock Anymore’

Nvidia is almost a ‘monopoly’ when it comes to A.I. – but after proving growth in its other businesses, it’s not just a chip stock anymore.

Chill Out, Boomers: Young Consumers Really Have Faced a Tough Economy

Younger consumers are maxing out their credit as they deal with a tough economy, a Bankrate analyst explains.

As Grocery Prices Surge, Thrive Market Emerges as Affordable Solution

In April, grocery prices rose by 1.2 percent, reaching pre-pandemic levels of food inflation. Could an e-commerce grocer be the solution? Thrive Market says yes

Debating Whether to Buy Nike Stock? One Analyst Says Just Do It

Americans spend billions on athleisure every year, and these underperforming brands have room to grow.

When You Buy That New PC, Microsoft Wants it to be Powered by A.I.

Microsoft hopes that the millions of people who haven’t bought new computers since 2020 will help turn the company into a leader in the A.I. space.

A Date Is Set! What Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Teased About The 2025 Grammy Awards

The Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., sat down with Cheddar to discuss what to expect on Sunday, February 2nd 2025 at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

Get Comfortable: The U.S. Economy Is Heading for a Soft Landing

Parsing through the latest news might make it feel impossible to tell how the U.S. economy is doing. This analyst's take? We're in the best case scenario.

Load More