Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently recounted during an interview that he sought relationship advice from former President Barack Obama after he experienced a breakup in 2021.
According to Business Insider, Chesky said that Obama, with whom he had been friends since 2015, told him that he didn't need another relationship after the one he'd been in; he simply needed friends.
I remember I was single, got out of a relationship, and I kind of felt lonely, and I remember telling him: I think I need to be in another relationship," the AirBnB CEO told podcast host Steven Bartlett.
Chesky added, "And he said: I don't think you yet need to be in another relationship, I think what you need are friends."
Brian Chesky says Barack Obama gave him some post-breakup advice, he didn't need another relationship.
the former president said what he needed friends.
Chesky said the advice made him realize he wasn't really connected with the people in his life.https://t.co/n159OF68Nk— DiveDoc🇺🇸🏴☠️🇺🇦 (@LJLMD) October 10, 2023
He went on to explain that Obama stressed the importance of having friends in your life with whom you stay connected.
BI noted:
The former president told the CEO he had "15 people in his life," many of whom he met before being elected as the country's top executive, and who he was "totally connected" with, according to Chesky.
"And if you have someone in your life that if you have to call them and text them and get them up to speed, then you're not connected," he added.
Chesky's connection with Obama isn't a secret, and he makes it clear that he definitely wants to stay connected with the Obama family, especially looking at his contributions to the Obama Foundation.
BI noted:
Chesky cofounded Airbnb in 2007 and now has a net worth of $10.4 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In 2022, Chesky donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to fund scholarships. The two recently announced the second cohort of their Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service in August.
Brian Chesky says Airbnb’s successful IPO was ‘one of the saddest periods’ of his life—then Barack Obama gave him one piece of advice https://t.co/LSHcj7yqNP via @FortuneMagazine
— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) September 12, 2023
Studies have shown that loneliness is on the rise, even in the age of social media where everyone might think they're more connected, but really are not.
"The loneliness epidemic also appears to be driving investments in new solutions, like AI companions and startups trying to facilitate more group activities, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino reported," Business Insider added.
It's truly sad that people are depending on Artificial Intelligence for companionship, but unfortunately, that's the sad world in which we now live.
We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook. Just click those two links - you'll see why.
It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.