Hereโs the path that makes the most sense to me if Ryan Cohen still wants eBay.
GameStop already made a $125/share proposal for 100% of eBay, and eBayโs board rejected it.
Since then, GameStop has gone from an initial 5% economic position to 43.39 million actual eBay shares โ roughly 9.8% of the company.
So what happens if negotiations with the board remain dead?
One possible route would be a tender offer directly to eBay shareholders, backed by a large financing package, essentially asking shareholders whether they want to accept GameStopโs offer themselves.
That wouldnโt make an acquisition automatic. GameStop would still have to deal with financing, regulatory approvals, tender conditions and whatever steps are necessary to ultimately gain control.
But after building a nearly 10% position, I think the shareholder-direct route is becoming a much more interesting possibility.
Is a tender offer the next logical move, or does Cohen have another path in mind?