GameStop CEO proposes $55.5bn takeover of eBay

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Known more widely for their unusual stock price in modern times, GameStop has seen a steady decline as the go-to retail space for US gamers. In what feels like an attempt to stay relevant to the uninformed onlooker, the company's CEO Ryan Cohen has sent an unsolicited offer to buy eBay, with him intending to serve as the CEO of the to-be combined company should it be accepted.

You can find the letter detailing his plans below.

Proposal Letter said:
Dear Chairman:

GameStop Corp. (“GameStop”) is proposing to acquire all common stock of eBay Inc. (“eBay”) at $125.00 per share. We have accumulated a 5% economic stake in eBay through derivatives and beneficial ownership of common stock and are filing a Schedule 13D and HSR notification tomorrow.

Our offer is $125.00 per share, comprising 50% cash and 50% GameStop common stock, with full shareholder election rights as to consideration type and pro-rata allocation. That represents a 46% premium to eBay’s unaffected closing price on February 4, 2026, the day GameStop started accumulating its position in eBay, a 27% premium to the 30-day VWAP, and a 36% premium to the 90-day VWAP. Aggregate undiluted equity value is approximately $55.5 billion. The transaction is conditioned on customary closing conditions.

eBay spent $2.4 billion on Sales & Marketing in fiscal 2025 and added one million net active buyers (134M to 135M). We will take $2 billion of annualized costs out within twelve months of close: $1.2 billion from Sales & Marketing, $300 million from Product Development, and $500 million from General & Administrative. Since 2021, GameStop has gone from a $381 million net loss to $418 million of net income, with SG&A down ~$800 million (47%).

On cost reductions alone, eBay’s diluted GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations would increase from $4.26 to $7.79 in year one. GameStop’s ~1,600 US locations give eBay a national network for authentication, intake, fulfillment, and live commerce.

GameStop had ~$9.4 billion in cash and liquid investments as of January 31, 2026. The cash consideration will be funded from cash and liquid investments on GameStop’s balance sheet and third-party equity and debt financing, which will be fully committed at execution of definitive documentation. A highly-confident letter from TD Securities for up to $20 billion is attached.

Our Board unanimously supports this proposal.

Following close, I will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. I will receive no salary, no cash bonuses, and no golden parachute – I will be compensated solely based on the performance of the combined company.

Ryan Cohen
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
GameStop Corp.

At the time of writing there has been no public comment on the proposal from eBay.

:arrow: Source
 
In the letter they say they have about 5% of Ebay's stocks. Even if Ebay refuses, Ebay's shares will temporarily go up anyway, so GameStop will sell all their shares at a profit. Win-win :-)
 
It's possible, like parting the red sea to stroll across it...

Um, Meme Gamestop has a market cap of $11Billion while ebay's market cap is $46 Billion.

I think the CEO of Gamestop is trying to pump and dump his own stock.

And ebay's stock is not up today, but Gamestop is a bit...
 
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I think the CEO of Gamestop is trying to pump and dump his own stock.
that's exactly what he's doing. he knows he can't buy them without going bankrupt, so why not commit a little bit of financial crimes? (also if you look who he is associated with at the political level, you'd KNOW his plans)
 
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It's possible, like parting the red sea to stroll across it...

Um, Meme Gamestop has a market cap of $11Billion while ebay's market cap is $46 Billion.

I think the CEO of Gamestop is trying to pump and dump his own stock.

And ebay's stock is not up today, but Gamestop is a bit...
Indeed, the GameStop CEO gets significant stock-based incentives if he manages to push the company's market cap to over $100 billion. There's no guarantee he can make that happen even if they do manage buy out eBay, however.
 
what feels like an attempt to stay relevant to the uninformed onlooker, the company's CEO Ryan Cohen has sent an unsolicited offer to buy eBay, with him intending to serve as the CEO of the to-be combined company should it be accepted.
I'm sorry, what?

I don't want these two companies merging into one. GameStop has been dying for such a long time due to a polethora of reasons. They recently took down a bunch of stores for I assume its the same reason as them becoming worse, and then they're going to try getting eBay to probably get them revelant again? I just don't think this is going to work out in the way that they hoped. Maybe with their acquisition, they might even take down eBay, as well!
 
I hope they fail and get ridiculed for proposing such a stupid idea.
They should get the Nintendo-Microsoft treatment. Namely, much like Nintendo laughed Microsoft out of the room when Microsoft wanted to purchase the "small" game company, eBay should laugh GameStop's CEO out of the market for even having the gall to suggest buying a company much bigger and worth more than his own.
 
Last edited by ChronosNotashi,
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How is it possible that they still exist? They closed pretty much every store In EU (Next to the former GameStop is a drug store selling games at up to 80% discount. GameStop never had a chance; the drug store still sell games)

Dear Americans, why are you supporting their scam tactics by buying everything at retail price? Use eBay!
 
Dear Americans, why are you supporting their scam tactics by buying everything at retail price? Use eBay!
Because:
1) people are idiots (I should know: my first job was as a customer support agent in the billing department, so I've seen the whole spectrum of human stupidity when it comes to anything money-related);
2) for whatever reason, The Pokemon Company still does the occasional limited-time/stock events there - the latest being a Shiny Koraidon/Miraidon event that was...slightly mishandled by GameStop; and
3) so many people were so eager to "stick it to the rich man" when they heard about the hedge funding that was going on, they didn't stop to consider the ramifications of increasing the value of GAMESTOP, of all companies.

That said...I still wouldn't consider eBay as the first option for buying used (much less new). I'd sooner check every locally-owned game store within a 40 mile radius of where I live.
 
That said...I still wouldn't consider eBay as the first option for buying used (much less new). I'd sooner check every locally-owned game store within a 40 mile radius of where I live.

We don't have any game stores. Either electronics or some drugs stores that's why eBay is the first and only choice here in Germany for used games. There had been movie renting stores selling used stuff but they all went extinct.

GameStop will ruin eBay for sure when they aquire it.
 
Be funny to see Ebay refuse, then submit an offer back to buy Gamestop instead for 11billion, half cash, half Ebay credit.
 
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What a load of BS and propaganda GameStop claiming they have 55.5Billion dollars to buy eBay no wonder eBay hasn’t commented

Edit: that Source is fake as it comes “fake news” as they call it. If there was any truth in that letter it would be all over the worlds news broadcast for example BBC News but it’s not the only Source is social media and unreliable online news sites
 
Last edited by Reecey,

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