Adam Neumann Wounded WeWork, an Office Market Bust Finished It Off

WeWork rode the wave of the venture-capital frenzy, building a global real-estate empire worth more than any other U.S. startup before buckling and laying off thousands when funding ran dry under its turbulent co-founder and former chief executive Adam Neumann. 

Ultimately, though, it was a historic office market bust that doomed the desk-rental giant.