Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on being behind the wheel

4 days ago 10

It's uncommon to beryllium down with a CEO and the CEO's mother. The arrogant ma is Lili Khosrowshahi; her son, Dara, is down the instrumentality astatine Uber arsenic its main executive. "I really accidental helium works for Uber," said Lili. "Sometimes I accidental helium drives, he's a driver."

They sat down with america to stock their family's migration story. In 1978, the Khosrowshahis fled Tehran and the Iranian revolution. "We were forced to permission Iran – it wasn't our decision," Lili said. "It was done successful a day."

Dara's begetter ran a household concern which made them wealthy, but also, they say, a target. "You don't beryllium astir saying, 'Well, let's program arsenic a household for a revolution,' right? It conscionable ne'er occurs to you," Dara said. "We mislaid everything."

"We came from a overmuch amended beingness to a smaller life," said Lili. "At the time, java was 15 cents, and I wouldn't adjacent bargain a cupful of coffee. In fact, I don't wage for Starbucks java to this day."

"Mama, Starbucks is simply a lawsuit of Uber Eats. You gotta speech it up!" Dara interjected. "I emotion Starbucks, personally!"

"I'll fto you pay," said Mom.

It's that easy-going, yet strategical code that Khosrowshahi brought to Uber. Launched successful 2009, the institution transformed however millions get around. When Khosrowshahi took complaint successful 2017, Uber was infamous for a toxic enactment civilization and a growth-at-all-costs approach.

When helium took over, his occupation was described arsenic "one of the worst clean-up jobs successful the past of American capitalism."

"Well, I deliberation it was a small over-dramatized," said Khosrowshahi. "But it was existent that I had to travel successful and alteration the civilization of the company. And I bash deliberation that the company, successful hindsight, was excessively assertive successful definite ways. And I deliberation present we get it close much than we get it wrong."

Still, Uber is defending itself successful lawsuits implicit its billing practices and rider safety.

Then, there's the company's narration with President Donald Trump. Eight years ago, Khosrowshahi was CEO of Expedia – and condemned Mr. Trump's alleged Muslim ban. Today, he's 1 of galore CEOs present engaging with President Trump.

"I bash deliberation that, arsenic a CEO of a U.S. company, you privation the state to succeed," Khosrowshahi said. "And so, that means supporting immoderate medication is successful power. You're gonna person your disagreements. You're gonna person your agreements. We person to navigate done a play of a beardown economy, but astatine the aforesaid time, important uncertainty."

I asked, "Isn't a batch of that uncertainty caused by this president?"

"Uncertainty comes with change," helium replied. "And I deliberation the president ran connected a mandate for change. As CEOs, arsenic companies, you know, we person to set to that situation that we see."

And Uber is adjusting. Last period it announced new, cheaper thrust options. Route Share matches riders with different passengers on pre-set commutes.

"This feels benignant of similar a glorified carpool?" I asked.

"Well, what is aged is caller again," said Khosrowshahi.

"We person heard from a batch of riders that Uber rides person gotten a batch much costly implicit the past fewer years, much than the complaint of ostentation – what's happening here?"

"Well, I deliberation it is astir inflation," Khosrowshahi said. "And the mean Uber thrust is present a small implicit $20. Our drivers request to marque a living, and truthful truly the request for drivers and wage has gone up, and that translates into the eventual terms of the Uber ride."

Concerns implicit operator wage and benefits persist … adjacent arsenic Khosrowshahi's ain compensation has surged, to astir $40 cardinal a year.

Asked what radical should marque of that, Khosrowshahi said, "We arsenic a society, I deliberation arsenic a country, clearly, we've done unbelievably good economically. But I bash deliberation that the inequality that you spot arsenic it relates to the apical extremity compensation, similar idiosyncratic who's fortunate capable similar me, and the mediate class, et cetera, that is excessively large a chasm, successful my opinion."

Too large of a gap? "Yeah. I bash deliberation it's excessively large of a gap. Now, I don't person a solution for it."

It's a spread that whitethorn beryllium getting adjacent bigger.

This past week, Uber expanded its robotaxi work to Atlanta, launching rides successful self-driving Waymos.

The roadworthy toward much driverless cars 06:19

Khosrowshahi said, "Everyone wants on-demand transportation, food, et cetera. So, we spot really AV [Autonomous Vehicle] and quality driving tin turn for the adjacent 5 to 10 years."

"You don't deliberation quality operator numbers volition decrease?" I asked.

"Not successful the adjacent 5 to 10 years," helium replied. "Then, we volition request to set arsenic a society."

For now, robotaxis are neither cheaper nor faster than a quality driver. But Khosrowshahi says they are arsenic harmless arsenic tin be. "Certainly the statistic carnivore it out," helium said.

Khosrowshahi is focused connected the roadworthy ahead, but his past is ne'er acold behind. When helium was a teen, his begetter returned to Iran for what helium thought would beryllium a abbreviated sojourn … but the authorities wouldn't fto him leave.

Lili said, "For the six years that your begetter was away, you ne'er adjacent mentioned his name. And I told you that Daddy was escaped to come, and you started crying similar crazy. I mean, you couldn't halt crying. So, you know, you had learned to conscionable fell your feelings. But arsenic immigrants, we each learned to fell our feelings."

Emotional, Dara requested a interruption from the interview. "I don't retrieve the peculiar moment," helium said. "but I retrieve the time. And I think, you know, Mom's wholly right. You set to the concern to your best."

"Adjust" … Dara Khosrowshahi keeps coming backmost to that word, successful enactment and successful life.

I asked, "You person said, 'We came astatine a clip that was welcoming to immigrants.' Is that inactive the lawsuit close now?"

"I think, you know, we're going done a modulation present arsenic a nation," helium replied. "There's a reset going connected successful presumption of making definite that migration present is proper, is legal. It's hard for a batch of people. But my anticipation is that we stay the benignant of state that attracts the champion and the brightest who privation to physique a beingness here. And hopefully, I tin assistance others unrecorded the aforesaid imagination that I have."

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Story produced by Dustin Stephens. Editor: Joseph Frandino.

Jo Ling Kent

Journalist Jo Ling Kent joined CBS News successful July 2023 arsenic the elder concern and exertion analogous for CBS News. Kent has much than 15 years of acquisition covering the intersection of exertion and concern successful the U.S., arsenic good arsenic the emergence of China arsenic a planetary economical power.

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