Below is a daily summary of links to the latest SPAC news and rumors gathered across the web.
Latest SPAC News: Vivendi shareholders approve Universal Music Group spin-off, family offices tap into SPACs, and ironSource merger creates 230 new millionaires
Vivendi Investors Approve UMG Plans in Activist Rebuke
Vivendi SE shareholders voted to approve the spinoff of Universal Music Group, paving the way for the world’s largest music company to be listed in Europe.
Shareholders voted 99.88% to spin off UMG, and also backed plans for a share buyback of as much as 50%, at Vivendi’s annual general meeting on Tuesday.
READFamily Offices Tap Into SPAC Boom
Family offices have participated in the SPAC boom, albeit in smaller numbers than hedge funds and other institutional investors. Among the most prominent names active in the sector are the family offices of tech entrepreneur Michael Dell, billionaire real estate mogul Barry Sternlicht and former hedge fund executive Dan Och. Billionaire financier George Soros’s family office has also begun hunting for SPAC opportunities.
“Family offices are largely exempt from registering with the SEC and they’ve got a lot of great connections,” says Jane Leung, chief investment officer at Silicon Valley Bank. “They’re able to have a lot more flexibility and nimbleness when it comes to making investments in SPACs.”
READ230 New Millionaires To Be Born Thanks To ironSource SPAC Merger
The merger between Tel Aviv-based web and mobile monetization company ironSource and a Thoma Bravo-backed SPAC next week, at a company valuation of $11 billion, is set to create an unprecedented 230 new millionaires. The massive number of new millionaires is based on the number of options different company employees hold and the valuation at which ironSource is going public.
Viola Ventures was the first fund to invest in ironSource with a $20 million investment in 2012 resulting in a $1 billion return, including dividends withdrawn from the company over the years.
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Remember the metaverse? Many do not. Meta’s (NASDAQ:META) attempted transition to virtually living and working seemed to mark a trend that went up and down quickly, but one SPAC deal has both survived that roller coaster and may rise with a second. Back in December 2022, Newbury Street (NASDAQ:NBST) announced a $1.85 billion combination with...
At the SPAC of Dawn Tucked into the bill that provides $95 billion in funding to American allies passed by the House this weekend is another measure that is likely to have far more impact on at least one pending deal in SPAC world. It would appear that the timing was fortuitous for TikTok rival...
With the passage this weekend of $95 billion in funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan by the House of Representatives, some focus has gone back towards the defense sector, which has generally had a good year as a whole. But, SPACs have not been as active in defense, despite the fact that companies in the...
At the SPAC of Dawn As April’s sleepy month for SPAC news continues, there is only one special meeting on the docket to consider a SPAC deal approval, that being today’s vote on Pegasus Digital Mobility‘s (NYSE:PGSS) combination with equipment manufacturer Schmid. Three more SPACs are facing extension votes this week, including Pyrophyte (NYSE:PHYT), whose...
Terms Tracker for the Week Ending April 19, 2024 Welcome to our weekly column where we discuss the findings from our IPO terms tracker based on the previous week’s pricings. Passover and school spring break starts next week, which most likely means a slowdown in SPAC filing activity. Although Churchill IX is now rumored to...