Hubris at Hertz Doomed Its Massive Bet on 100,000 Teslas

Like anyone habituated to the excesses of Wall Street, Tom Wagner and Greg O’Hara knew how to throw a party. On the night of Nov. 9, 2021, guests emerging from the oversize elevator at Zero Bond, the members-only Manhattan social club frequented by Kim Kardashian and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, were greeted with flutes of Champagne. Offerings of sliced raw tuna on crispy rice and roasted maitake mushrooms awaited them as heads turned to admire an Andy Warhol and a Keith Haring, while New Order throbbed in the background. On every cocktail napkin, emblazoned with Hertz’s ...