(Update: Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has issued an apology, which you can read in its entirety here.)
As if the ride-share company doesn’t have enough public relations problems, video emerged Tuesday of billionaire Uber CEO Travis Kalanick lecturing a bankrupt driver on personal responsibility.
The video, obtained by Bloomberg, was recorded by driver Fawzi Kamel in early February on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s just over six minutes long — but the good part, if you can call it that — begins at about the four-minute mark, when two women who were in the backseat with Kalanick exit, leaving him and Kamel alone in the car. And an awkward conversation occurs.
In the video, Kamel questions Kalanick about Uber policies that he says have personally cost him. When he finally says, “I lost $97,000 because of you, I’m bankrupt because of you,” Kalanick starts to lose his temper, calling “bulls—” on Kamel.
“You know what? Some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own s—. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck!”
Kamel responds: “Good luck to you too!” — and Kalanick’s media team will need it.
The CEO issued a statement late Tuesday in which he said the criticism of the video 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.”
He added: “I want to profoundly apologize to Fawzi, as well as the driver and rider community, and to the Uber team.”
Uber’s other recent P.R. messes include Kalanick leaving President Trump’s advisory council after widespread objections, the perception (which Uber denied) that it was trying to make money off a protest of Trump’s travel ban, and a New York Times report about accusations of sexism within the company.