SoftBank inks a deal to take control over 80% of WeWork ownership

By Nikita Chaurasia  | Date: 2019-10-24

SoftBank inks a deal to take control over 80% of WeWork ownership

SoftBank has reportedly invested nearly USD 11 billion in workspace startup and real estate. In January, when the company decided to invest in WeWork, it did a valuation of around USD 47 billion. Since then, growing investor concern over WeWork’s business model and improper corporate control have drove WeWork’s possible valuation down significantly. The company decided to go public with a valuation of around $10 billion—ahead of ditching its plans for an IPO in 2019.

However, WeWork is now in headlines as SoftBank has taken control over its approx. 80% ownership. According to the real estate company, SoftBank will provide USD 5 billion in new financing and up to USD 3 billion in a tender offer for current shareholders. SoftBank will also get a move on its existing USD 1.5 billion financing commitment, said WeWork.

Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO, SoftBank, meanwhile said that the company believes that the world is transforming a way in which people work and WeWork is the torchbearer of this revolution. Son added that as WeWork shares the same vision, SoftBank has decided to double down on the company by offering considerable operational support and capital infusion. The company will also stay committed to WeWork, its member-consumers, its employees and landlords, he said.

Sources cite that WeWork will appoint Marcelo Claure, Chief Operating Officer, SoftBank, as the executive chairman of its board of directors. Former WeWork CEO, Adam Neumann will meanwhile become a “board observer” as the company is expanding the group of directors and taking voting control over his shares.

According to reports, SoftBank will give $1.7 billion to Neumann to step down as chairman and give up his voting rights. Co-CEOs Sebastian Gunningham and Artie Minson replaced Adam Neumann in September after he attracted scrutiny for his odd leadership style and conflicts of interest.

After Neumann’s exit, WeWork’s new leadership has successfully worked for getting the company back on track to growth, including exploring the sale of numerous businesses.

Source Credit - https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/23/softbank-to-take-control-of-wework.html

About Author

Nikita Chaurasia     aeresearch.net

Nikita Chaurasia

An accomplished professional in the field of content development, playing with words comes naturally to Nikita Chaurasia. After completing her post-graduate MBA degree in Advertising and PR, Nikita worked across numerous content-driven verticals, undertaking diverse r...

Read More >>

More News By Nikita Chaurasia

Swiftly achieves Unicorn status with $100M Series C led by BRV Capital

Swiftly achieves Unicorn status with $100M Series C led by BRV Capital

By Nikita Chaurasia

Swiftly Systems has reportedly achieved unicorn status, securing in funding through a Series C round. The prominent BRV Capital Management led this funding initiative. According to the earlier reports, Swiftly was adopted by hundreds of consumer b...

Rainforest nations unify to demand cash for climate & biodiversity preservation

Rainforest nations unify to demand cash for climate & biodiversity preservation

By Nikita Chaurasia

As per the reports, twelve nations with rainforests united to establish a collective initiative aiming to address climate change and safeguard biodiversity at summit held in Brazil. The declaration, titled "United for Our Forests," emerged ...

AI Chatbot, Llama 2, unveiled by Meta for commercial use via Microsoft

AI Chatbot, Llama 2, unveiled by Meta for commercial use via Microsoft

By Nikita Chaurasia

Meta Platforms has recently introduced Llama 2, an artificial intelligence large language model, for commercial use in collaboration with major cloud providers like Microsoft. Instead of charging for access or usage, Meta aims to share the model with...

Moderna signs agreement to explore mRNA medicines in China

Moderna signs agreement to explore mRNA medicines in China

By Nikita Chaurasia

Moderna Inc, a leading vaccine manufacturer, reportedly announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and a land collaboration agreement aimed at exploring opportunities for researching, developing, and producing...

Nike and Epic Games collaborate to launch Airphoria NFT in Fortnite

Nike and Epic Games collaborate to launch Airphoria NFT in Fortnite

By Nikita Chaurasia

The American footwear design & manufacturing company, Nike and Epic Games, the creators of the popular online game Fortnite, have joined forces in an exciting new collaboration. The partnership aims to bring about a groundbreaking change in the d...