Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, who is deeply respected in tech and entrepreneurial circles, is also a polarizing figure. He wrote an email in Oct. 2013 that he may now regret.
The email—with subject line “URGENT, URGENT - READ THIS NOW OR ELSE!!!!!”—went out to Uber’s then-400 employees as they headed for Florida’s Shore Club for a party celebrating the company’s success.
The email, known internally as the “Miami letter,” surfaced via Recode today.
“Have a great fucking time,” Kalanick wrote. “This is a celebration! We’ve all earned it.”
“You better read this or I'll kick your ass” was at the top of the email.
Kalanick also advised the employees on how to handle sexual situations during the celebration.
“Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic ‘YES! I will have sex with you’ AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML.”
The email also includes mentions of vomiting, drug use, and throwing beer kegs off of buildings. Kalanick's message has drawn attention recently because two law firms, Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling, are working on investigations about corporate misbehavior at Uber, which has been accused of sexism, sexual harassment, and general corporate mismanagement. This email might just be relevant to those issues.
You can read the full email on Recode.
