Trending Now - Gamestop's Ryan Cohen Proposes $55.5 Billion Ebay Acquisition

WHO:

ABC News - Ryan Cohen became CEO of GameStop in 2023.

The Guardian - Ryan Cohen is referred to as the “meme king” by retail traders and online followers.

ABC News - Ryan Cohen stated, “eBay has the second largest commerce franchise and there’s a big opportunity to do something much larger.”

The Guardian - Ryan Cohen, who has run GameStop since 2020, claims eBay could be worth much more under his leadership.

ABC News - Ryan Cohen is the CEO of GameStop.

The Guardian - Paul Pressler is the chair of eBay.

Cointelegraph - GameStop is a US video games retailer.

WHAT:

ABC News - GameStop's bid for eBay is approximately $56 billion, with the offer set at $125 per share, split 50-50 between cash and stock.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen stated, “Ebay should be worth – and will be worth – a lot more money,” and expressed his intention to take the offer directly to eBay shareholders if the board is not receptive.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen would serve as CEO of the combined company and would only be compensated based on the combined company's performance.

The Guardian - GameStop's cost-cutting plan includes slashing $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, another $300 million from product development, and $500 million from administrative departments.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen stated, “I’m thinking about turning eBay into something worth hundreds of billions of dollars.”

The Guardian - GameStop's proposal includes using its stores as “drop-off and shipping nodes” and broadcasting studios for live sales events featuring eBay products.

The Guardian - GameStop's claim to fame came during the meme stock craze of 2021, when a meme-fueled “revolution” in investing led to Gen Z and millennial investors piling into the stocks in a frenzy that came close to bankrupting a number of hedge funds.

The Guardian - GameStop shares have fallen since the meme stock craze but are still up more than 30% this year.

The Guardian - Shares of eBay jumped more than 7% in premarket trading, while GameStop's stock declined nearly 3%.

The Guardian - GameStop's bid for eBay is approximately $55.5 billion, with the offer set at $125 per share, split 50-50 between cash and stock.

The Guardian - GameStop's market valuation was roughly $12 billion before the bid.

The Guardian - eBay's market valuation is about $46 billion.

The Guardian - GameStop's cost-cutting plan would slash $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, another $300 million from product development, and $500 million from administrative departments.

ABC News - GameStop's bid for eBay is approximately $56 billion, with the offer set at $125 per share, split 50-50 between cash and stock.

The Guardian - GameStop's cost-cutting plan includes slashing $2 billion from eBay’s annual spending, with specific cuts of $1.2 billion from sales and marketing, $300 million from product development, and $500 million from administrative departments.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen owns about 9% of GameStop.

The Guardian - GameStop has shut down 590 stores in 2025, leaving approximately 1,600 stores operational.

The Guardian - eBay reported first-quarter revenue of $3.09 billion, exceeding analysts’ estimate of $3.04 billion.

ABC News - eBay confirmed it has had no talks with GameStop or received any outreach from the company before it received the proposal.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen would serve as CEO of the combined company and would only be compensated based on the combined company's performance.

ABC News - GameStop's bid is backed by a $20 billion bank loan from TD Securities.

The Guardian - GameStop's equity value of the proposed deal is $55 billion on paper.

The Guardian - GameStop plans to cut $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, $300 million from product development, and $500 million from administrative departments.

The Guardian - GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen stated, “I’m thinking about turning eBay into something worth hundreds of billions of dollars.”

The Guardian - eBay reported first-quarter revenue of $3.09 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $3.04 billion.

The Guardian - eBay is in the process of acquiring the British secondhand fashion resale app Depop from Etsy for about $1.2 billion in cash.

ABC News - GameStop announced an attempt to take over eBay for approximately $56 billion.

The Guardian - GameStop's offer is $125 per share, split 50-50 between cash and stock.

ABC News - GameStop has accumulated a 5% stake in eBay.

The Guardian - GameStop's market valuation was roughly $12 billion before the bid.

The Guardian - eBay's market valuation is about $46 billion.

The Guardian - GameStop plans to achieve $2 billion in annualized cost cuts within a year of the proposed transaction's closing.

The Guardian - GameStop's cost-cutting plan includes slashing $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, $300 million from product development, and $500 million from administrative departments.

WHERE:

ABC News - GameStop has approximately 1,600 U.S. stores that could become drop-off and shipping locations.

WHEN:

The Guardian - GameStop's bid could turn hostile if eBay’s board rebuffs the proposal.

WHY:

ABC News - GameStop sees the acquisition of eBay as a vehicle to compete with Amazon.

The Guardian - Ryan Cohen believes eBay could be worth much more under his leadership and aims to turn it into a competitor to Amazon.

The Guardian - Cohen criticized eBay for spending $2.4 billion on sales and marketing in 2025 while only adding 1 million net active buyers.

HOW:

The Guardian - GameStop's proposal includes using its stores as “drop-off and shipping nodes” and broadcasting studios for live sales events featuring eBay products.

The Guardian - GameStop's offer is backed by a $20 billion bank loan from TD Securities.

The Guardian - GameStop plans to use its stores for authentication, intake, fulfillment, and live commerce, including livestreamed auctions.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 01:26 UTC)

GameStop has made a bold move with a bid for eBay valued at approximately $56 billion, offering $125 per share, split evenly between cash and stock. CEO Ryan Cohen has expressed his determination to take the proposal directly to eBay shareholders if the board does not respond favorably, and he plans to lead the combined company with performance-based compensation. In addition to significant cost-cutting measures, including slashing $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, GameStop envisions using its stores as drop-off and shipping nodes for eBay products.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 21:18 UTC)

GameStop has made a bold move with a bid for eBay valued at approximately $55.5 billion, offering $125 per share, split evenly between cash and stock. The proposal, led by CEO Ryan Cohen, aims to transform GameStop's stores into drop-off and shipping nodes, as well as broadcasting studios for live sales events featuring eBay products. This ambitious plan also includes significant cost-cutting measures, targeting a reduction of $1.2 billion from eBay’s annual sales and marketing budget, along with cuts in product development and administrative departments.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 19:20 UTC)

GameStop has made a substantial bid for eBay, valuing the company at around $56 billion with an offer of $125 per share, split evenly between cash and stock. As part of its cost-cutting strategy, GameStop plans to reduce eBay's annual spending by $2 billion, targeting cuts in sales and marketing, product development, and administrative departments. GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen, who owns about 9% of the company, has stated his belief that eBay should be worth significantly more and is prepared to take the offer directly to eBay shareholders if the board does not respond favorably.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 17:23 UTC)

Ryan Cohen, who has led GameStop since 2020, believes eBay has significant potential for growth and could be worth much more under his leadership. In a proposal, GameStop outlined a cost-cutting plan that would reduce eBay's annual sales and marketing budget by $1.2 billion, along with cuts to product development and administrative departments, while Cohen would take on the role of CEO for the combined company, earning compensation tied to its performance. eBay, however, has confirmed that it has not engaged in any discussions with GameStop prior to receiving this proposal.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 15:34 UTC)

GameStop is making headlines with a proposed deal valued at $55 billion, backed by a substantial $20 billion bank loan from TD Securities. As part of its strategy, GameStop plans to cut $1.2 billion from eBay's annual sales and marketing budget, along with reductions in product development and administrative costs. Meanwhile, eBay recently reported first-quarter revenue of $3.09 billion, surpassing analysts' expectations, and is in the process of acquiring the British secondhand fashion resale app Depop for about $1.2 billion in cash.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 13:19 UTC)

GameStop, led by CEO Ryan Cohen, has announced a bold plan to acquire eBay for approximately $56 billion, offering $125 per share, which will be split evenly between cash and stock. The company has already secured a 5% stake in eBay and is backed by a substantial $20 billion bank loan from TD Securities, with plans to implement significant cost cuts to boost eBay's profitability. GameStop aims to leverage its 1,600 U.S. stores for various functions, including fulfillment and live commerce, as it seeks to position eBay as a stronger competitor against Amazon.