[brianchesky]

Brian Chesky (Airbnb CEO) here. My heart goes out to our host. My co-founder has contacted her multiple times, as recently as last night, and we have again offered to help her in any way that she needs. We will continue to make ourselves available to her to do whatever she asks of us in this time of need. We have encouraged her to reach us so that we can help her through this, and we are standing by.

[codeglomeration]

I think you need to act on this, rather than just keep making promises. I also believe you would have helped already if you really wanted to.

You're essentially asking her right now to be a beggar, and putting her into an even more degrading position. What do you expect her to do? Write you that she needs $1000 for a new laptop, $100 for a new door, $50 for new locks?

Put yourself in her shoes. Doubt you would do that.

EDIT: Also, you can't have it both ways. If you state you're going to help her, then help her. Otherwise just state it's out of AirBnbs' reach, and the hosts should have insurance and pay carefull consideration to who they rent.

You're coming of as disingenuous in your remarks.

[SkyMarshal]

You're exactly right on this. She also simply lacks the energy to do everything she needs to do to overcome this. AirBnB could really turn this from a crisis to an opportunity by taking the bull completely by the horns here, and making her whole again, at least emotionally. Waiting for an emotionally scarred PTSD-victim to figure out and enumerate exactly what they need is not going to cut it.

[CaptainZapp]

And, is it true that you requested that she either take her blog entry down or limit access to it?

I don't want to jump to conclusions, but reading both sides of the story you guys don't come over as entirely truthful in this sordid affair.

[abcd_f]

Very few people in distress can coherently answer an open-ended question such as "what can we do for you?" It also puts her in a position of, basically, asking a favor, and this is not something that a hurt person would be inclined to do.

Give her a list of specific things you can do. Or rather just do them first, and then tell her. Rent and furnish an apartment for her and bring her the keys, for example. That will go a much further way than just writing a blank cheque.

[gobongo]

This post is spot on and the fact that airbnb keeps tripping over this point is just baffling. Are they ignorant or evil? They have to be one or the other.

Isn't it common sense that asking someone "What can we do to help?" is about as useful as yelling "Someone call an ambulance!" to a crowd? Anyone with half a lick of sense says "Hey, YOU (Point), call an ambulance" or "Here's what we're going to do to help you..." (and then actually do it). How can you be the CEO of what is supposedly a billion+ dollar company without realizing these basic things?

Madness.

[itg]

"offered to help her in any way that she needs."

From the blog postings she has written, this doesn't seem true at all

"We will continue to make ourselves available to her" & "We have encouraged her to reach us" & "we are standing by"

You shouldn't be just standing by, you are the ones that need to reach out and help her. The tone of language used here is extremely passive when airbnb needs to be more active about this situation. Also, did you really ask her to take down the blog post or put it in a more positive light?

[cubicle67]

ok, so without using wank words, can you describe exactly what you've done to help her in the last five weeks? What you plan on doing in the future doesn't count

[jvc26]

From what I gather, by help you mean told her to take her post down as you were in round 2 funding? I sincerely hope that isn't true.

[Medicine]

Had Airbnb really did something for EJ, you would have mentioned.

[jcunningham]

It didn't sound like your heart went out to her.

Sounded more like your lawyer went out to her.