It's very difficult to see how SoftBank breaks even on this new deal. They're investing $5bn now, with the hope that it's worth more than that when they IPO, but several things have killed that idea. Firstly, their brand is tarnished. Secondly, the growth play will be gone by the time they IPO. Thirdly, the charismatic leader is gone, so the message of "Disrupting" and "We're a tech play' is gone. They've put $5bn into a company that's roughly the same size as a public company that's got a $4Bn market cap, but only got 70% equity as a result.
I think I'm at the point where I think that Softbank is throwing billions into wework to save face. That is a very bad move.
I think I'm at the point where I think that Softbank is throwing billions into wework to save face. That is a very bad move.