The Investors Most Likely to Sell Their Uber Stakes
Uber's valuation is reportedly down. That's according to Softbank's offer to buy shares of the ride-sharing company at a 30 percent discount. Axios' Dan Primack breaks down what this pending deal could mean for Uber.
The Japanese firm is leading a group that will purchase billions of dollars worth of shares from employees and investors at a $48 billion valuation, and invest about $1 billion in Uber at the previous valuation of $68 billion. Primack says most of this investment will go to early shareholders. The "unofficial" reason for the investment at the old valuation is that is the price Saudi Arabia's public investment fund bought in about a year ago.
Potential sellers, such as early investors and employees, have 20 business days to give Softbank an answer during the tender process. Primack called Softbank's price at a 30 percent discount an "opening bid," and doesn't see any way this deal is accomplished at this starting price. Ultimately, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi needs this deal to get done because it's tied to governance changes, says Primack. It will give Khosrowshahi and the board more control, and former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick less control.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
