“Always be hustlin’, ” was the credo of Travis Kalanick, co-founder and former boss of Uber. That mindset helped turn the company into the world’s largest ride-hailing platform, with operations in more than 70 countries and 10,000 cities. Its name has now become a commonly used verb. But while Uber hustled, investors had to be patient. Although founded 16 years ago, it first turned an annual operating profit only in 2023. Disrupting personal transport while fighting legal battles over flouted regulations and weathering sexual-harassment scandals proved tremendously costly.