Uber CEO Travis Kalanick hired his own private driver after that videotaped argument with an Uber driver went viral

Reuters/Staff

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

For a long time, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick would only use his company’s car service to get around. He would even moonlight as a driver once in awhile.

But ever since an incident occurred between he and an Uber driver in February, where their heated discussion about fare prices was filmed and posted on the internet for the world to see, Kalanick has since hired his own private driver, according to a New York Times’ exposé on the Uber CEO.

After the video of his argument with an Uber driver went viral, Kalanick sent a memo to Uber employees apologizing for his behavior and vowing to get “leadership help.”

Here’s the full text of Kalanick’s memo, as shared by Uber’s blog:

By now I’m sure you’ve seen the video where I treated an Uber driver disrespectfully. To say that I am ashamed is an extreme understatement. My job as your leader is to lead…and that starts with behaving in a way that makes us all proud. That is not what I did, and it cannot be explained away.

It’s clear this video is a reflection of me—and the criticism we’ve received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time I’ve been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it.

I want to profoundly apologize to Fawzi, as well as the driver and rider community, and to the Uber team.

—Travis

You can watch the original video of Kalanick’s argument with an Uber driver here:

Despite the many recent scandals surrounding Uber lately, company board member Arianna Huffington said last month that Kalanick doesn’t need to worry about his job safety.

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