First of all, you're missing the point of the article. Softbank is increasing its stake in Uber, which can only be a good thing, even if it's a markdown from it

First of all, you're missing the point of the article. Softbank is increasing its stake in Uber, which can only be a good thing, even if it's a markdown from its last preferred round. Second of all, you bandy around private like it's a bad thing. The reason why these companies are successful is because they pioneered a much more better solution than the alternatives. Take, for example the public service Access-a-Ride [1]. This is the kind of "quality" you get without competition and innovation. [1]: https://longreads.com/2017/09/01/on-nycs-paratransit-fighting-for-safety-respect-and-human-dignity/ https://longreads.com/2017/09/01/on-nycs-paratransit-fightin...