Latest / The Acquisition Talk with Fexingo: Mergers, Buyouts, and Business Sales for Operators
How the VW Porsche Short Squeeze Rewrote M&A Risk
In October 2008, Volkswagen briefly became the world's most valuable company — not because of earnings or a breakthrough product, but because of a short squeeze triggered by a botched merger disclosure. This episode unpacks how Porsche's secret accumulation of VW shares through cash-settled options backfired spectacularly, creating a $200 billion swing in market cap in under 48 hours. Lucas and Luna walk through the mechanics of the squeeze, the regulatory gaps that let it happen, and the legacy it left for modern M&A disclosure rules in Europe. A cautionary tale about hidden…
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