Ebay to sell Stubhub to Viagogo for $4bn November 25, 2019 Ebay has agreed to sell its ticket sales platform Stubhub to Viagogo in a deal worth $4.05bn, following pressure from activist investors to offload parts of its business. The auction site bought Stubhub for $310m in 2007, but in March this year it launched a strategic review of its assets following pressure from activist investors [...]
Ebay chief executive steps down September 25, 2019 Ebay chief executive Devin Wenig has stepped down as the online retail giant presses ahead with a potential asset sale. Chief finance officer Scott Schenkel has been appointed as interim chief executive while the board searches for Wenig’s replacement. Ebay said it would continue a strategic review of its assets that began in March. The [...]
Competition watchdog urges Facebook and Ebay to crack down on fake review market June 21, 2019 The competition watchdog has called on Facebook and Ebay to step up their efforts to prevent the sale of fake reviews through their sites. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today wrote to the two platforms asking them to conduct a review amid concerns there is a “thriving” marketplace for fake and misleading online reviews. [...]
How a relationship break-up spurred this founder to build ‘Ebay for travel’ to help flog unwanted holidays May 20, 2019 When you think of unwanted items, holidays don’t tend to spring to mind. But according to Simon Powell, founder of TransferTravel, billions of dollars are wasted globally on unwanted travel every year, while an estimated 220,000 hotel rooms are paid for and never used every day in the US alone, wasting $8.6bn annually. And with [...]
An honest guide to meeting props: here’s what your clicky pen, leather notebook and water bottle are really trying to say May 3, 2019 In the theatre of the commedia dell’arte, the character of Arlecchino can be recognised by two props – his mask and his slapstick. The commedia was built on archetypes, quickly establishing who a character was and how they would behave – and with that recognised, everyone could get on with the story. If someone had [...]
Ebay launches strategic review after activist investor pressure March 1, 2019 Ebay has given into pressure from activist investors Elliott Management and Starboard Value to launch a strategic review of the company. The online auction website will appoint two new board members and review the company’s Stubhub and Ebay Classifieds Group. Read more: Ebay shares spike as activist investor Elliott reveals $1.4bn stake Jesse Cohn of [...]
Ebay’s acquisition of Motors.co.uk gets the green light from UK competition watchdog February 12, 2019 Ebay's acquisition of car search business Motors.co.uk has been given the all-clear by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The deal, first announced in October, last year, will see Ebay merge Motors.co.uk with its other consumer-facing car sales business Gumtree Motors. The CMA said at the time of launching its probe in December that it [...]
Intel names Bob Swan as new boss in the wake of former CEO’s rule-breaking January 31, 2019 Intel has made its interim chief executive Robert 'Bob' Swan its permanent boss, after the role's former occupant resigned last year. Swan, who was previously Intel's chief financial officer, had also served as Ebay's finance boss for the nine years before joining Intel in 2016. His appointment marks a change for Intel, which has traditionally [...]
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism secures £800,000 to fund growth January 25, 2019 The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has secured a new round of fundraising, bucking the trend after a torrid week of job cuts among digital media outlets. The not-for-profit news organisation said it has received £800,000 over two years from global charity Luminate, which was set up by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Read more: Buzzfeed and Verizon [...]
Ebay shares spike as Elliott reveals stake and demands Stubhub spin-off January 22, 2019 Activist investor Elliott Management has revealed it has amassed a stake in Ebay worth roughly $1.4bn (£1.1bn), causing the retailer's share price to spike. In an open letter, Elliott urged Ebay to spin off or sell its ticket-sales franchise Stubhub and its classified ads business. It said Ebay could more than double its market value [...]