Travis Kalanick has resigned as Uber’s chief executive after being forced from the job by top investors in the company.
The former CEO will remain on Uber’s board of directors, a spokesman confirmed to The Hill.
“I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight,” Kalanick said in a statement obtained by The Hill.
Uber in recent months has been reeling from a number of controversies and missteps, including allegations of widespread sexual harassment.
{mosads}The company has been most heavily scrutinized over its treatment of women after former employee Susan Fowler wrote a blog post that went viral in which she alleged numerous instances of sexual harassment that were ignored and mishandled by Uber. Fowler’s post and subsequent criticism prompted Uber to hire former Attorney General Eric Holder and his law firm to conduct an independent investigation of the company.
Uber has also been embroiled in a court battle with Waymo, the driverless car business run by Google parent company Alphabet, which accused the ride-sharing startup of stealing trade secrets. And Uber is under a criminal investigation over its use of technology to evade regulators in certain cities.
According to The New York Times, which first reported Kalanick’s resignation, five of Uber’s investors, including Benchmark, a prominent Uber investor, wrote a letter called “Moving Uber Forward,” urging Kalanick to step down.
“Travis has always put Uber first,” Uber’s board said in a statement. “This is a bold decision and a sign of his devotion and love for Uber. By stepping away, he’s taking the time to heal from his personal tragedy while giving the company room to fully embrace this new chapter in Uber’s history. We look forward to continuing to serve with him on the board.”
Kalanick had previously said he would take a leave of absence.