- Travis Kalanick founded a startup called UberCab in 2009 that evolved into the Uber we all know today.
- Uber is now a multi-billion-dollar behemoth that's about to go public.
- Here's how Kalanick got his start, built Uber into the highest-valued startup in the world, became mired in scandal, and then launched a new career.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
Ten years ago, Travis Kalanick launched a startup called UberCab in San Francisco.
Now, Uber is a global behemoth, one of Silicon Valley's most successful companies — also one of the most contentious — and is on track to file its public IPO paperwork any minute now. It's expected to make its public trading debut in May.
Uber now operates in more than 600 cities worldwide, and is said to be seeking a valuation of up to $100 billion. The 42-year-old Kalanick, though no longer at the helm of Uber, is now said to have a net worth of about $5.8 billion.
But Uber — and Kalanick — have been caught up in one scandal after another over the years, leading to a four-month investigation, more than 20 firings, and Kalanick stepping down from the company.
Here's how it all began — and what Kalanick has been up to since stepping down as CEO.
Maya Kosoff contributed to an earlier version of this post.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick grew up in Northridge, California — a suburb outside Los Angeles. When he was a kid, he wanted to be a spy.
Source: Business Insider
Kalanick got good grades and was athletic growing up, running track and playing football. But he was bullied by older students, and later vowed that he'd never be pushed around by anyone again.
Source: The New York Times
Kalanick would eventually follow in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his mom, a retail advertiser: He went door-to-door as a teen, selling knives for Cutco. He then started his first business at 18: an SAT-prep course called New Way Academy.
Source: Business Insider
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