New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- WeWork's spectacular rise was followed by a failed attempt to enter the public markets in 2019, with co-founder Adam Neumann now saying the company was pushed towards an IPO before it was ready.

Looking back, Neumann said WeWork had also lost sight of what it was originally trying to build as money became the focus.

At its peak, WeWork was valued at about $47 billion, making it one of the world's most highly valued private companies. The company filed for an IPO in August 2019, but the filing brought renewed attention to its heavy losses, corporate governance and business model.

"It suddenly became about the money. I forgot what we were all about. And when I lost it, everybody lost it. And the next thing is we fo...