WeWork co-founder nears settlement with SoftBank in lawsuit over scrapped US$3 billion bailout
- The deal would mean Neumann sells about a quarter of his position in WeWork and remains a major shareholder in the company
- Neumann sued SoftBank and its Vision Fund, alleging they relied on legally faulty pretexts to renege on the original sale agreement
WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann is in advanced talks to settle his lawsuit against the co-working company’s biggest backer SoftBank Group Corp, according to people familiar with the matter.
Under the terms of the potential settlement, SoftBank would purchase half of the WeWork shares it originally agreed to buy in 2019, said one the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are still private.
That means Neumann would be able to sell close to US$500 million in stock, and that SoftBank would pay about US$1.5 billion overall. The shares are being sold at the same price agreed upon in 2019, the person said.
The deal would mean Neumann sells about a quarter of his position in WeWork and remains a major shareholder in the company, the person said, while noting the agreement is not finalised and could still change.
A spokesman for Neumann and a spokeswoman for SoftBank declined to comment.
The settlement would bring an end to a high-profile legal dispute between Neumann, WeWork’s former chief executive officer, and SoftBank, which for many years was his most exuberant backer. In 2019, after WeWork’s initial public offering failed, he stepped down and the Japanese conglomerate agreed to buy US$3 billion in stock from Neumann and other shareholders as part of a bailout package.