How an Airbnb Renter's Horror Story Taught the Company's CEO his Greatest Leadership Lesson

By Richard Feloni

Some investors, like Silicon Valley star Chris Sacca, refrained from investing early in Airbnb, which was founded in 2008, due to fears of the disasters that could happen when people share their homes with complete strangers.

The first Airbnb horror story that made waves in the media happened in June 2011, when the renter of a woman's San Francisco home destroyed the apartment, took her valuables, and stole her identity while she was traveling for business.

Her personal blog post describing the scene went viral, and the media waited for Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky to address it.