Welcome back! Yesterday, ICIJ, The Guardian, and more than 40 global media partners blew the lid on the covert business strategies of one of the biggest and most influential tech startups of our time.
The Uber Files reveal how the ride-hailing giant defied local laws and regulations, actively duped government investigators and built a global influence juggernaut to shape policies in its favor amid a chaotic scramble into international markets.
But as the company brazenly went into battle with legislators and the taxi industry in Western democracies, it took a much different tact in one of the world’s most attractive but oppressive marketplaces: Russia.
Leaked records reveal how some executives went to extraordinary lengths to grow Uber’s business there, quietly seeking alliances with billionaires and political figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and courting their favor through lucrative investment deals.
But while Uber pulled out all the stops to woo the world’s most rich and powerful, it continued to give short shrift to its drivers. Like other tech titans, Uber devised ways to save millions in taxes using tax havens, but came up with a brazen strategy to divert government scrutiny: by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers instead.
One of the executives who features in the Uber Files has publicly come forward today as the source of the documents, expressing regret for his actions during his tenure at Uber.
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