Billionaire investor who just gave his back to Apple selling all its shares in the company – W Radio

Shark or investor-activist? In any case, bad news for Apple.

“Some become rich studying artificial intelligence. I make money studying stupidity human “.

This is how you define in your Twitter account billionaire Carl Icahn, known as one of the most famous” investor-activists “of the world, who just announced his retirement from Apple due to . concern about the prospects of the company in China

This is no small thing: at some point last year, Icahn has owned 53 million shares in Apple , near the 1% of the total, with a value was about US $ 6,500 million.

Although the amount of the sale has not been revealed, reports indicate that earned about US $ 2,000 million for the transaction.

are hardly good news for the technology giant, whose financial results this week realized a 13% drop in profits was attributed to a decline in iPhone sales.

the past, an ad buying shares by Icahn resulted in an immediate rise. Now, as might be expected, the reaction was downward. late on Thursday, had lost 3% of its value

How will Tim Cook received the news …

But even more difficult to imagine the reaction of Tim Cook, Apple chief when Icahn released him the news that he was with his millions elsewhere.

” I called him this morning. he said he was sorry, obviously. But I told him that is a great company “said the investor.

China

It is also not easy to assess the reasons for ICANH to withdraw from Apple.

According to what he told the US network CBS, is concerned that China may put barriers to trade in the products Apple .

The country was one of the particularly weak points in the business performance of the company: there sales fell 26%

“In China, for example, you are going to do. very difficult for Apple to sell. it could, theoretically, you know … Basically, in a way they are, how to say, perhaps benevolent, but in a benevolent dictatorship. Although I do not know if ‘benevolent’ is the right word, “he said in the televised interview.

This month Beijing closed services movies and books from the Apple store in China, following the introduction of a law requiring that all content circulating in China is stored on servers within its territory.

Icahn believes that things will not get better for Apple in China, where it recorded a drop of 26%, according to the latest financial results.

These arguments outweighed their appreciation for the company, which began buying shares in 2013, and was a fan declared.

“in Apple today, in contrast to (what happened) six months or a year ago, there is no need for activism, because think it has a very good management ” he said .

The investor activist

What is meant by “no need for activism”? Why call it “investor-activist”?

The answer has to do with how you engage with what they invest , rather than with their ideas about the situation of human rights in China, for example.

This New York businessman 80 years, 60 -after get started in business as a stockbroker on Wall Street in the years a title degree in philosophy – developed a reputation as a ruthless “sharks” financial after the hostile takeover of several high profile companies

Today is the majority shareholder Icahn Enterprises a <. em> holding business with a variety of interests, from mining to real estate, through technology.

And part of its strategy to accumulate an estimated at US $ 18,000 million fortune has been have a belligerent attitude in companies in which it has participated .

In companies like Apple, Hertz or entertainment conglomerate Time Warner has used its right to vote at the shareholders meeting to press for any changes .

For example, in October last year urged the multinational insurance giant AIG to divide.

“You have not shown any signs of urgency and has chosen a strategy of ‘see and wait ‘for years, empty decisive leadership, “he said in an open letter to the head of the company.

” it is obvious that the simple act of dividing the company greatly increase the value for shareholders “.

if these examples do not make clear, the activism ICANH not fit into the same category that characterizes the non-profit.

in fact, as argued by an article in the journal Time in 2014, the label “investor-activist” today is another name for the “sharks” 80.

So these activists are “good” or “bad”

the magazine responds quoted blogger James Kwak:

“in finance, rarely battles between good and evil occur. Instead, you have battles greedy and corrupt, say, versus greedy and ruthless “.