Uber is reportedly exploring an Expedia takeover

Uber is reportedly exploring the concept of buying Expedia, one of many largest journey reserving firms on this planet, in accordance with the Financial Times. Expedia, which is valued at $20 billion and which reported its highest-ever annual income in 2023, would be the firm’s largest acquisition, if the deal does certainly push by. The Instances says it’s totally early days, nonetheless, and Uber hasn’t even made a proper supply for the journey firm but. It is nonetheless within the technique of learning the implications of buying Expedia and has, over the previous months, labored with advisers to determine whether or not the deal is possible and the way it might be structured.

The corporate’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, might have to take a seat out deal discussions, seeing as he was CEO of Expedia earlier than he was hired by the ride-hailing service in 2017. He is nonetheless in its Board of Administrators, as nicely. It does not sound like Khosrowshahi was the one who steered the potential buy, although — in its report, the Instances stated the concept was “broached by a 3rd get together.”

Uber has had plans to turn into a wider journey reserving platform for some time now. Khosrowshahi stated he needed Uber to be the “Amazon of transportation” from the time he joined the corporate. Since then, the ride-hailing service has added practice, bus and flight bookings in some markets, and it has additionally made a number of massive acquisitions. It bought on-line meals supply service Postmates for $2.65 billion and alcohol supply service Drizly for $1.1 billion earlier than shutting it down three years later. The corporate additionally teamed up with Waymo and Cruise to supply autonomous rides in sure markets. As the Instances notes, Uber grew to become worthwhile for the primary time in 2023 on account of a renewed demand for rides and meals supply and might be a in a superb place to accumulate an organization as large as Expedia.