• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentUber Technologies

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick heckled on Colbert show

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 11, 2015, 11:00 AM ET
Travis Kalanick, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc., speaks during the Institute of Directors (IOD) annual convention at the Royal Albert Hall in London, U.K., on Friday, Oct. 3, 2014. U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told the IOD "clearly the economy is growing, unemployment has fallen sharply and business investment has picked up,"  Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Travis Kalanick, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies Inc., speaks during the Institute of Directors (IOD) annual convention at the Royal Albert Hall in London, U.K., on Friday, Oct. 3, 2014. U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told the IOD "clearly the economy is growing, unemployment has fallen sharply and business investment has picked up," Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images

Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick didn’t get the warmest reception when he spoke with Stephen Colbert on the comedian’s new late night television show, according to Business Insider.

The publication reported that during a taping of the show, there was at least one audience member who “accused Kalanick of destroying taxi-industry jobs,” according to the article. Colbert reportedly let the audience member continue speaking.

Kalanick’s response was to say that his company pays better than the taxi industry and also has flexible hours for those working at the popular ride-sharing service.

Per an apparent audience member on Twitter, who witnessed the event unfold:

https://twitter.com/falpal_sarah/status/642199171076911104

https://twitter.com/falpal_sarah/status/642197317244854272

https://twitter.com/falpal_sarah/status/642199402656960513

https://twitter.com/falpal_sarah/status/642196090947792897

For more on Uber, Seattle is considering letting members of the ride-sharing service unionize with Lyft, a competitor.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
As millions of Gen Zers face unemployment, McDonald's CEO dishes out some tough love career advice for navigating the market: ‘You've got to make things happen for yourself’
By Preston ForeDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
America's $38 trillion national debt 'exacerbates generational imbalances' with Gen Z and millennials paying the price, warns think tank
By Eleanor PringleDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The $38 trillion national debt is to blame for over $1 trillion in annual interest payments from here on out, CRFB says
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 17, 2025
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt Roomba maker iRobot says Elon Musk's vision of humanoid robot assistants is 'pure fantasy thinking'
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
IBM, AWS veteran says 90% of your employees are stuck in first gear with AI, just asking it to ‘write their mean email in a slightly more polite way’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 16, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Robots are going to be amongst us': Qualcomm exec says buckle up for the next 5 years. Your car is going to be the first shoe to drop
By Nino PaoliDecember 17, 2025
22 hours ago

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Bongino
PoliticsFBI
‘I think he wants to go back to his show’: Dan Bongino retreats from FBI back to conspiracy podcasting
By Eric Tucker and The Associated PressDecember 17, 2025
9 hours ago
A statue of the Oscars statuette
Arts & EntertainmentYouTube
YouTube is giving the Oscars the lifeline it desperately needs
By Dave SmithDecember 17, 2025
10 hours ago
James Cameron holding a microphone, gesturing
SuccessWealth
James Cameron is now a billionaire. The boomer college dropout worked odd jobs like truck driving before making his big break with films like Avatar
By Preston ForeDecember 17, 2025
16 hours ago
Kushner
LawM&A
Kushner’s Affinity withdraws from Warner Bros. takeover battle
By Matthew Monks, Lucas Shaw, Michelle F. Davis and BloombergDecember 16, 2025
1 day ago
Photo of Reese Witherspoon
Arts & Entertainmentreese witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon says, ‘I don’t think my career would be possible’ in the age of AI and social media: ‘It’s a different world’
By Sydney LakeDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
Jim Carrey almost returned a $20 million paycheck, with interest, for his hit role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
Jim Carrey nearly quit ‘Grinch’ and offered to return his $20 million paycheck. Then the founder of SEAL Team Six came to the rescue
By Nino PaoliDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago