Dhruv Trivedi
‘WeCrashed‘ follows the remarkable story of the rise and fall of the shared-workspace company, WeWork, and the couple at the center of it all. Adam and Rebekah Neumann have a lofty perspective of their company’s vision, claiming to want to “raise humanity’s consciousness.”
In episode 7, their eccentric vision is described on a crucial company document. When members of the board question the inclusion in what is meant to be a technical document, Rebekah justifies it by claiming to have worked on Wall Street. Considering much of ‘WeCrashed’ is based on true events, we decided to see if Rebekah Neumann actually worked on Wall Street. Here’s what we found.
Did Rebekah Neumann Actually Work on Wall Street?
As it turns out, Rebekah Neumann (as Rebekah Paltrow) did work on Wall Street. However, as a disillusioned board member mumbles under his breath on the show, it was only for a few weeks. After getting a double major in Buddhism and business from Cornell University, she got a job as a trader at the investment bank Salomon Smith Barney. She had seemingly begun searching for jobs during her senior year in college. Years later, during a podcast interview, she said that she turned to investment banks because it was “the kind of job to get.”
As stated earlier, her time at Salomon Smith Barney didn’t last long, and Rebekah, a trainee at the time, quit after a few weeks. She then lived in Dharamsala, India, for a period where she spent time with monks and in the presence of the Dalai Lama. She also studied Jivamukti Yoga and is seemingly fluent in three languages.
Later, Rebekah also spent some time working on films. Under the stage name of Rebekah Keith, she appeared in a short film titled ‘Awake,’ which was written and produced by her. At the time WeWork started, Rebekah was apparently still working as an actor. However, her romantic connection with Adam Neumann got Rebekah involved with WeWork, where she described her role as a strategic thought partner. She subsequently took on the role of chief brand and impact officer and, by 2019, was called a co-founder of WeWork.
The part about the company’s S-1 document and its unconventional contents, as seen on the show, is also loosely based on real life. However, it is unknown whether Rebekah actually flouted the (brief) time she spent working on Wall Street to justify her role in crafting the document. Incidentally, WeWork’s S-1 document contained language attributed to Rebekah, which was reflected in statements like “to the energy of we—greater than any one of us but inside all of us,” which was a dedication that appeared on the first page.
Thus, Rebekah Neumann did work on Wall Street, but it wasn’t for very long, as hinted by the show. Her experiences as a yoga practitioner and aspiring actress are also touched up in ‘WeCrashed,’ as are the various roles she held at WeWork.
Read More: Was Adam Neumann’s Project Fortitude Real? What Were the Terms of the Deal?
