So, Airbus has backed out of the deal for Atos's cybersecurity unit following months of on-off talks.
Now, I guess the market will never really know whether Airbus's decision was influenced by Sir Chris Hohn's (see part 20 - https://www.www.betaville.co.uk/betaville-intelligence/rare-alert-atos-said-to-part-20/) outcry against the purchase of a stake in Atos's Evidian division...
I see Sir Chris Hohn has thrown has thrown his oar in the Airbus - Atos deal talks, urging the former to give up on its pursuit of the latter's multi-billion EURO cyber security division. Below is a link to yesterday's story on the matter:
https://www.ft.com/content/0ecb9bfc-732d-4525-91c0-4ac6089c194a ..
There was acres of coverage of Extinction Rebellion's blockade of the British national newspapers' printing presses over the last 48 hours but for some reason Sir Chris Hohn hardly gets a mention...
Just when you thought things couldn't get weirder at Wirecard: along comes Deka.
The German investor, which owns a 1.6pc, shareholding in the controversial payments company is calling for the removal of Markus Braun, chief executive. Below is a link to Deka's quotes:
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/deka-demands-removal-of-wirecard-ceo-2020-05-06..
Does anybody else think the juxtoposition of Sir Chris Hohn taking a short position in Wirecard and his very public call for the removal of the German company's chief executive a bit odd?
You could understand why the German company's surpervisory board might acquiesce to The Childrens' Investment Fund if the firm had pursued its usual method of buying a sizeable stake in the company...
Here is a bit of light reading to get you through these troubling times.
Do you remember Betaville's tale about Sir Chris Hohn's denial of the purchase of a north London mansion? I came across the story when I first set up Betaville in 2014. Below is the link to my original piece:..