One of Uber’s first employees blames the breakneck pace of growth for the ride-hailing company’s recent scandals.
“There was a focus on growing as quickly as possible, and with that sometimes you miss the infrastructure that you need for a company the size that Uber is today,” Chris Taylor, who is now the U.S. head of bike-sharing company Ofo, told Cheddar.
Uber has faced a string of stumbles over the past year, from allegations of sexual harassment to a $100,000 payoff to hackers. More recently news emerged that the company had instituted an elaborate system to evade regulatory inspections called “Ripley”.
The company’s struggles come as competitors such as Lyft have been gaining momentum. That start-up reportedly saw revenues more than triple in the first half of last year.
Both companies are preparing IPOs. Taylor, who owns shares of his former company says he hopes Uber goes public first.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/bike-share-battle-ofo-takes-on-mobike-and-didi-chuxing).
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
