Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick has resigned from his position at the ride-hailing company he co-founded, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
The move came after months of controversy that included allegations of sexual harassment at the company, as well as an incident involving Kalanick himself that had him saying it was time for him to grow up.
NBC News confirmed his departure on Tuesday night.
Uber coverage on Globalnews.ca:
The Times reported that Kalanick resigned as chief executive after five of the company’s major investors demanded his departure.
Those investors included Benchmark, a venture capital firm that has one of its partners, Bill Gurley, on the ride-hailing company’s board.
Investors delivered a letter to Kalanick demanding his resignation while he was in Chicago, unnamed sources told the newspaper.
READ MORE: Uber makes it easier for U.S. drivers to collect tips from riders
Times reporter Mike Isaac tweeted a statement from Uber’s board which confirmed that Kalanick would remain as a director despite his resignation from an executive position.
Kalanick had previously stepped away from the chief executive role after his mother died.
His leave of absence also came amid the release of a series of recommendations that arose from an investigation into the company’s culture and practices by former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder.
That investigation was sparked after ex-Uber engineer Susan Fowler wrote a blog post in which she described alleged sexual harassment and a lack of suitable response by senior management.
A report by Holder’s firm recommended that Kalanick’s authority over the company be reduced, and that stronger controls be placed over spending, human resources and other areas.
READ MORE: Uber’s Travis Kalanick says it’s time for him to ‘grow up’
In March, Kalanick said it was time for him to “grow up” after a video showed him in an argument with an Uber driver who was complaining to him about pay rates.
The video, which was published by Bloomberg, showed the driver telling Kalanick that “people are not trusting you anymore.”
Kalanick responded that “some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own s***. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck!”
- With files from Reuters
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