While the experts largely agreed that SoftBank made the right move by taking control of WeWork away from Neumann, they were astounded by the size of Neumann’s golden parachute.

“It’s stone-cold crazy,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO of the Patriarch Organization, a technology and media private-equity firm. “I think SoftBank blinked, and Neumann walks away with one of the biggest hauls in modern history when he should have gotten very little.”

The embattled office-sharing startup was fighting to stay afloat after its initial public offering failed and Neumann stepped down as CEO last month. WeWork’s board this week was also weighing a buyout from JPMorgan, Business Insider reported. […]