Kalanick's 5-Minute Jet Ski Commute to Atoms Office

Travis Kalanick, the cofounder and former CEO of Uber, posted a video on X showing himself jet skiing across Lake Austin to his new office at Atoms, the custom-shoe startup he founded after leaving Uber. The trip takes five minutes, he said.

The commute is a far cry from his years at the ride-hailing giant, where he resigned in 2017 amid investor pressure. Kalanick sold most of his Uber shares in the years that followed, cashing out roughly $2.5 billion. He now focuses on Atoms, which launched in 2019 and makes 3D-printed shoes tailored to each customer's foot.

The video itself is not a market-moving event for Uber (UBER), which trades largely on earnings, mobility trends, and self-driving timelines. Kalanick has no operational role at the company. The image of the former CEO, once known for aggressive growth tactics, trading a boardroom for a personal watercraft is a reminder of how far he has drifted from the business he built.

Atoms remains a small player in the footwear market, and Kalanick has not publicly discussed any plans to take it public. His morning commute, however, is now public.