It’s the week of milestones and today it’s Uber’s turn: the company has reached five billion trips.
Uber hit one billion trips in late 2015 — five years after launching — and in less than two years it has quintupled its intake.
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On 20 May, 156 riders simultaneously pushed Uber over the milestone, and the company is rewarding each of the drivers with US$500.
5 billion rides, 6 continents, 76 countries—thank you to the riders and drivers who powered this journey. pic.twitter.com/9cFN7YESTX
— Uber (@Uber) June 29, 2017
To put the number into perspective: if one trip was called every second, it would have take 158 years to reach that milestone. The world’s population only reached five billion in 1987.
If Owl City got a thousand hugs from five billion lightning bugs, he’d be receive five trillion hugs.
He’d certainly die.
The good news of the milestone comes at a tumultuous time for the company: ex-CEO Travis Kalanick resigned after having faced months of controversy after controversy. He has yet to be replaced.
Some have taken to Twitter to congratulate the founder.
Congrats to @travisk – Uber has now given FIVE BILLION rides. Huge accomplishment for what launched as an SF limo service 6 yrs ago
— Jack Nolan (@JackENolan) June 30, 2017
Uber hit 5 BILLION total rides. This company has completely transformed how we live our day to day lives. Absolute mind boggling.
— Ryan Morris (@RyanMorris55) June 30, 2017
Another user commented on the fact that Uber has been working at a loss — in the first quarter of 2017 it was sitting at a loss of US$708-million.
Uber crossses 5 billion rides. Still yet to make a single dollar of profit. How long will this lunacy continue?
— Insults as a Service (@BongoBoganLand) June 30, 2017
I guess you could say the good news came in the Kalanick of time.
Featured image: Susanne Nilsson via Flickr (CC 2.0 BY-SA, resized)
