This week, in a special edition of the SPACInsider Podcast, we speak with David Cote, Executive Chairman of Vertiv, and Tom Knott, who was previously Head of Permanent Capital at Goldman Sachs. Both joined forces in 2019 on GS Acquisition Holdings Corp., which combined with Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) in what has become the most successful SPAC deal of all time.
We discuss what were the critical ingredients to the transaction’s success and what is needed to achieve solid returns in SPAC deals under the current conditions.
However, it wasn’t all roses from the start, with the deal closing right as the pandemic shocks were beginning to hit the system. But, the two explain how their team weathered the storm with both preparation and a plan for the company’s post-transaction future.
Give it a listen.


At the SPAC of Dawn During a week in which rare earth mining and space de-SPACs have seen major gains, another blast from the past is making serious waves in the market. EV battery developer QuantumScape (NYSE:QS) rose to a 52-week high of $13.79 yesterday and is cruising even higher in the pre-market. The company...
Cantor Equity Partners I (NASDAQ:CEPO) has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Bitcoin Standard Treasury in a transaction that is worth about $4.8 billion. Bitcoin Standard Treasury aims to bring in capital from a number of equity instruments to build up one of the largest US-listed Bitcoin treasuries. The combined company is expected...
At the SPAC of Dawn Several de-SPACs have made market-moving announcements recently and they haven’t forgotten to cash in on them. Fresh off of announcing $500 million strategic investment and partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), rare earth miner MP Materials (NYSE:MP) has followed that up with a $500 million public offering, netting the company a cool...
Pyrophyte Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE:PAII.U) announced the pricing of its $175 million IPO and its units are expected to begin trading on the NYSE under the symbol “PAII.U”, Thursday, July 17, 2025. The new SPAC plans to focus its search on companies within the energy sector that constitute critical links in the supply chain of the...
At the SPAC of Dawn Rare earth miner MP Materials (NYSE:MP) was one of the early winners of the 2020 SPAC boom, having picked up momentum following its 2020 deal with Fortress Value. But, the company’s news that it will become a major supplier of battery materials for Apple’s empire of electronic devices has sent...