SOURCE OF WEALTH: WeWork
FUNDING AREAS: Health, Environment, TBD
OVERVIEW: Adam and Rebekah Neumann do not appear to have a formal family foundation. They’ve given sums to health and have shown an interest in the environment. Prior to a rescinded IPO, the couple pledged to give at least $1 billion to charity over the next decade.
BACKGROUND: Born in Israel, Adam Neumann came to the United States when he was young. Always entrepreneurial, Neumann founded a children’s clothing company, Krawlers. He later co-launched co-working firm WeWork, which rents out office space in more than 110 cities around the world. Neumann resigned as CEO in 2019 shortly before the company cancelled a planned IPO. WeWork’s parent company filed for bankruptcy in late 2023.
Born in New York, Rebekah Neumann attended Cornell University. She co-founded WeWork and founded WeGrow, a conscious entrepreneurial school.
ISSUES:
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Neumanns made a $1 million gift to Be The Match National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The forces here are personal as one of WeWork’s earliest employees was diagnosed with a bone marrow disease known as severe aplastic anemia. They’ve also given more modest support to local hospitals like Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke and Roosevelt Hospitals Development Department.
ENVIRONMENT: The couple have given support to Sierra Club Foundation.
LOOKING AHEAD: Only in their 40s, the Neumanns philanthropy is still in its early stages. But expect much greater giving from this entrepreneur power couple down the line. Apart from health and the environment, perhaps supporting Jewish causes will be another strong interest.
LINK: Adam Neumann Twitter
