The dizzying rise, and even more vertiginous fall, of WeWork

Company sought to present itself at the heart of myriad utopian ideals, in pursuit of mission' to elevate the world's consciousness'

WeWork's rapid rise transformed it into one of the world's most feted start-ups, valued at $47bn in 2019. Its fall has been faster. Just four years after clinching that peak valuation, the business has filed for bankruptcy.

Dressed in the cloak of a technology company, WeWork turned out to be an office rental business - one that was undone by problems of its own making and finally by forces beyond its control.