DoorDash CEO Slams Viral Reddit Claims Alleging ‘Desperation Score’ for Drivers

Tony Xu issues an emphatic denial after anonymous post accuses food delivery apps of exploiting workers through hidden algorithms

DoorDash CEO and co-founder Tony Xu has forcefully denied explosive allegations circulating online that accused a major food delivery app of using a so-called “desperation score” to determine how much drivers are paid. The claims, which originated from an anonymous Reddit post, quickly went viral—prompting an unusually blunt, expletive-laden response from the DoorDash chief.

The controversy began when a Reddit user, claiming to be a disillusioned developer for a “major food delivery app,” alleged that the company secretly tracked drivers’ financial desperation and adjusted pay accordingly. Writing under the protection of anonymity and claiming to be bound by a strict non-disclosure agreement, the poster asserted that drivers were internally referred to as “human assets” and that company systems were designed to extract maximum profit at the expense of workers.

“The thing that actually makes me sick—and the main reason I’m quitting—is the ‘Desperation Score,’” the anonymous user wrote. According to the post, this hidden metric allegedly monitored drivers’ order-acceptance behavior to determine how urgently they needed cash, with lower pay assigned to those deemed more desperate.

While the identity of the Reddit user has not been verified—sparking speculation online about whether the post was authentic or even AI-generated—the allegations spread rapidly across social media platforms. The growing attention ultimately forced a public response from DoorDash’s top executive.

Xu reacted directly on X (formerly Twitter) after a user shared a screenshot of the Reddit post with the caption “holy f—king s—t.” Xu replied in kind:
“Holy f—king s—it is right! This is not DoorDash, and I would fire anyone who promoted or tolerated the kind of culture described in this Reddit post. There’s so much wrong with this post.”

Calling the claims “appalling,” Xu added that if such practices were happening anywhere in the industry, those responsible “should be ashamed.” DoorDash has categorically denied ever using or considering a “desperation score” in determining driver pay.

The Reddit post went further, alleging that features such as “priority delivery” were a “total scam” that did not actually speed up orders, and that customer-paid “benefit fees” were funneled into corporate lobbying efforts against driver unions. The anonymous poster also claimed the app reduced base pay on orders where customers were expected to tip well—effectively using customer generosity to subsidize company costs rather than boost driver earnings.

“The result is that your generosity isn’t rewarding the driver; it’s subsidizing us,” the post claimed. “You’re paying their wage so we don’t have to.”

DoorDash strongly rejected all of these assertions. In a formal statement, a company spokesperson said:
“We do not use and have not used these features, including the desperation score, and our comments are about our company and our company alone.”

The company also published a detailed blog post refuting what it described as the Reddit post’s “horrible claims.” DoorDash denied ever referring to drivers as “human assets,” denied that priority delivery is misleading, rejected accusations of using benefit fees for union-busting, and dismissed the idea that driver pay is reduced based on customers’ tipping behavior.

“We do not—and would never—use something like a ‘Desperation Score.’ Period,” the company stated. “This is a horrific term, and an even more horrific concept. We are not tracking how much cash Dashers have and determining pay based on that. This is not what we do, or even how we think about how Dashers earn.”

The incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over algorithm-driven business practices, particularly in the gig economy. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have increasingly raised concerns about opaque pricing systems and automated decision-making. Just last month, a report alleged that Instacart charged customers vastly different prices for identical items at major retailers, prompting renewed calls for regulatory oversight and potential legislation targeting algorithmic transparency.

As debate around gig worker protections and platform accountability intensifies, the viral Reddit post—verified or not—has underscored growing public anxiety about how algorithms shape wages, prices, and power in the modern digital economy. For DoorDash, the message from leadership has been unequivocal: the practices described are not part of its business—and never will be.