However, a source with knowledge of Neumann's recent deal last week told GlobeSt.com that Neumann did not draw a salary, and his debt was also backed by company assets. Plus, the source said Neumann is still the largest single shareholder of the company.

Some investors have also expressed wariness over WeWork's plans to launch its IPO while operating at a loss. The WSJ had noted last year its $1.8 billion in revenue was eclipsed by $1.9 billion in losses. But several big name companies have operated in the red for years prior to turning a profit. For example, Tesla Motors operated for a decade before its first profitable quarter according to a July 2014 Inc. article.

Finally, the Yale Insights opinion piece differentiated Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg from Neumann saying the former “have unique disruptive technologies.” Is a massive co-working company with offices around the world such a disruptor that it can do to office space leasing what Facebook has done to social networks or Apple to mobile devices? Several real estate leaders say WeWork and its competitors have forever changed the office rental landscape. But Sonnenfeld opined, “Strip away the barn-wood interiors, bean bags, and expresso bars, and Neumann's empire looks a lot like … a lot of other real estate companies.”