Here are the 5 biggest questions facing WeWork as it prepares for its IPO

Jackal Pan/Reuters

WeWork CEO Adam Neumann and his company face some big questions and concerns as the co-working giant prepares for an initial public offering.

• WeWork is preparing for an initial public offering and is expected to make public its IPO paperwork as soon as next week.
• The company has been valued like a tech company by private investors.
• But it faces numerous questions and concerns as it gears up for its offering.
• Among them: whether it really should be put in the same class as tech companies and how its business will fare in a recession.
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WeWork is gearing up for a big public offering.

But as it does so, it's facing some similarly big questions that could dampen investors' enthusiasm for its shares, limit the amount of money it raises in the IPO, and dog its stock on into the future.

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The coworking business, which now calls itself the We Company, will reportedly make public its IPO documents as soon as next week. It is the most valuable startup to head for the public markets since Uber earlier this year.

Read this: WeWork's IPO filing will reportedly be revealed as soon as next week, giving us our best look yet at its business

With a $47 billion valuation, it has been treated like a tech company. And in some ways it has performed like one. It has expanded rapidly and more than doubled its sales last year while also doubling its loss.

But it's also been dogged by consistent concerns about its business model and about its CEO and founder Adam Neumann. Some of those questions may be answered by its IPO paperwork. Answers for others won't be known for months or even years after its debut on the public markets.

As the company prepares for its IPO, here as some of the biggest questions it faces: