Get Outlook for Android<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faka.ms%2FAAb9ysg&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142242147%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=A34xKCABDxjlz8IJhK2qE7dxFk%2Foh2i3JSoYXEminYk%3D&reserved=0> ________________________________ From: Rosemary Overell <rosemary.overell@otago.ac.nz> Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 11:34:27 AM To: Humanities School of Social Sciences (All Staff) <hum.social_sciences.staff@otago.ac.nz> Subject: The non-death of Adam Neumann: Alt-exiting, serial-founding, and failing up in Silicon Valley venture capital Dr Tim White (LSE / KCL) 12/05 10am Morena koutou, You are all warmly invited to attend our seminar next week, 10am NZT 12th May in Burns 4 on the whacky and improbable story of WeWork, Silicon Valley’s most notorious IPO disaster. Dr Tim White from LSE and King’s College London. Please see below for all details and register here for the Zoom link: https://forms.gle/VB2EyyY3XNtbQZNF8<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FVB2EyyY3XNtbQZNF8&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142291352%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UDmwBSz7Xj7zT4cTWvCRyD4nvOJP8%2FcL74eMZKSrkCU%3D&reserved=0> The non-death of Adam Neumann: Alt-exiting, serial-founding, and failing up in Silicon Valley venture capital Adam Neumann surely ranks among the most disgraced corporate leaders of our time. The former WeWork founder and CEO, who was ousted from the company in 2019, became emblematic of the corporate excesses and hollow boosterism of post-dotcom Silicon Valley. In the public imagination his name is synonymous with failure and fraud. But to the outrage of many he is back on the scene, securing unprecedented backing from venture capital titan Andreessen Horowitz for his new real estate venture Flow. In this talk I unpack the non-death of Adam Neumann, interrogating why someone seemingly so untouchable is being funded at the highest level by one of Silicon Valley’s most infamous VCs. I argue that, through his atypical ‘exiting’ of WeWork, whereby he extracted billions from the company without initial public offering or acquisition, Neumann attained a level of wealth and power that made him ripe for reinvestment. The case challenges the liberal ‘fake-it-till-you-make-it’ myth of Silicon Valley meritocracy. US tech today increasingly takes the form of billionaire VCs funding already-powerful, deceptive and ruthless repeat founders. It is this increasingly consolidated and cynical system that enables Adam Neumann to ‘fail up’; rewarded rather than punished for his extreme misdemeanors. Dr Tim White<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcl.ac.uk%2Fpeople%2Ftim-white&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142348962%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qktEPk3UlcTjIG1girR01xipwvOF3yGB8OvmDT5rxlk%3D&reserved=0> is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at King’s College London. His research examines questions of power at the intersection of housing, land, tech and finance. All welcome, Rosie. Rosemary Overell<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.otago.ac.nz%2Fmfco%2Fstaff%2Frosemaryoverell.html&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142392756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2F%2BdFhxahzw6WTPhvWLLH6vcWkAi8GUMr4vUPUQnBMZ0%3D&reserved=0> ACMe (Aotearoa Communication & Media Network) <https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40acmesmokescreen&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142416280%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EEPdYU7KR6kMRcaYxJdkg%2BWMDqKWnH7EcDh%2BSNIByjE%3D&reserved=0> Smokescreen<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40acmesmokescreen&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142436565%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oMaIlQBOHkQCSHe0cw6HoUiRv9SjAQxaBBhhIT8DAXY%3D&reserved=0> Substack<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40acmesmokescreen&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142469175%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IPtZXde%2BBLHr8SFiNWYYbaif8JSITWnQCm1h8VaG1j8%3D&reserved=0> Pūkenga Matua | Senior Lecturer Pāpāho, Whitiāhua, Pārokoroko | Media, Film & Communication Programme Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | The University of Otago Otepoti | Dunedin Aotearoa New Zealand 9054 Forthcoming & latest publications: Overell. R. (2026). Blood Duster’s <https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomsbury.com%2Fuk%2Fblood-dusters-fisting-the-dead-9798216382249%2F&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142529870%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8vQxJfnZzpwYkQ28lfMPE3fQUhwCEZNsKwr4ukVR9So%3D&reserved=0> Fisting the Dead.<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomsbury.com%2Fuk%2Fblood-dusters-fisting-the-dead-9798216382249%2F&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142569985%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HzoGnxMcISKo%2FqmnUVxWR4CyA4IYnYnEGODsIkYSkPg%3D&reserved=0> New York / London: Bloomsbury Academic. Billington, R., R. Overell, B. Nicholls, M. Daubs, & C. Fowler. (2026). ‘“All that from two symbols?!” An <https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F10304312.2026.2634362%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawQHNflleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJGaEZ6WXhCOUx4Mno5UEx5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMXS8kDBA7iJs7jsAJH6cHrcs09YMC_PWzvzESxE1WQISGWTUSylozeopQE_aem_5a4KNwgR1c4ag-1JldMcZw&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142600897%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hW9M808A9J1CEldpQyDahiKyrkSCj%2BXbi1pZ7CuCc3Y%3D&reserved=0> Adolescence<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F10304312.2026.2634362%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawQHNflleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJGaEZ6WXhCOUx4Mno5UEx5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMXS8kDBA7iJs7jsAJH6cHrcs09YMC_PWzvzESxE1WQISGWTUSylozeopQE_aem_5a4KNwgR1c4ag-1JldMcZw&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142632335%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wXwraNAPI5OSTCMGPtkFDyWwJ3%2FBcdDv8w2yJMDaDIo%3D&reserved=0> Roundtable’<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F10304312.2026.2634362%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawQHNflleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJGaEZ6WXhCOUx4Mno5UEx5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMXS8kDBA7iJs7jsAJH6cHrcs09YMC_PWzvzESxE1WQISGWTUSylozeopQE_aem_5a4KNwgR1c4ag-1JldMcZw&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142663221%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RNKM74rZ4fUZf5hlOHppR8HzCMkmtRRBHBujm%2FfI3zk%3D&reserved=0>. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies. 19th February. 1-16. Overell, R. (2024). ‘Don’t Worry Darling: The anxious question of what women want after #MeToo’. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-024-00461-5<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1057%2Fs41282-024-00461-5&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142710119%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MDGGDClHpF976IpKb7QV%2FBA3Nk8u3txVWbOZpJohfEI%3D&reserved=0> Overell, R. (2025). ‘On her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox’<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fon-her-new-album-lorde-creates-pop-at-its-purest-performative-playful-and-alive-to-paradox-259994&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142754232%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cgD8J98Xc1tDg5xWTlb3Te1tUajfHZrgM7c4VcP%2Bis0%3D&reserved=0>. The Conversation. 30th June. Google Scholar<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.co.nz%2Fcitations%3Fuser%3DZW7oyEAAAAAJ%26hl%3Den&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142783185%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=csdiqUs3k8ySFhiPE5If4VH1%2BOCv3K9WNysd9W4YnEM%3D&reserved=0> LinkedIn<https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Frosemary-overell-047786222&data=05%7C02%7Csocialanthpostgrads%40lists.otago.ac.nz%7Cc2551981a8e6404c630708deab11cd31%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C639136290142803865%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W7McxJQ80uQFzzF7TNLfkRLs%2FJ6NRwtAFShdlEdDRo8%3D&reserved=0> [Screenshot 2026-03-08 at 9.45.17 AM.png]