Carl Icahn has finally buried the ax with Lionsgate.
The Vancouver-based mini-major on Tuesday unveiled an agreement with its largest shareholder that will see his stake acquired for $7 a share.
The deal, coming ahead of Lionsgate’s annual shareholders meeting on Sept. 13 in Toronto, puts an end to a long-running corporate saga that saw the billionaire investor fail to take control of the indie studio.
“As some have noted, my own ‘slate’ is pretty full at the time, and I therefore determined that it is a good time to exit,” Icahn said Tuesday in a statement, pointing to a host of other companies the corporate raider is taking aim at these days.
The settlement agreement will see Carl Icahn and son Brett Icahn sell up to 44,161,971 shares of Lionsgate, or “substantially all” of their holding.
Lionsgate will buy 11,040,493 shares, Mark H. Rachesky, another major shareholder and Lionsgate director, will also purchase 11,040,493 shares, and Lionsgate over the next 35 business days will designate investors to purchase up to 22,080,985 additional shares of its common stock from the Icahns, against at $7 per share.
“We believe that this accretive and antidilutive transaction is in the best interests of all Lionsgate shareholders, and it allows the company to continue to focus on the execution of its long-term business plan,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said in his own statement.