Ex-Blackstone Exec’s Sharp Elbows Were Too Pointy for Airbnb
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Laurence Tosi—the most prominent executive hired by a unicorn founder—is out at Airbnb Inc. LT, as he is known, clashed with Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky over vision and style. They both had what a banker might call “alpha personalities,” and Tosi was angling for more responsibility, including the chief operating officer title.
The two men’s visions for the company clashed, but they were reconcilable—if egos hadn’t gotten in the way.