Sleestak
Power User
Absent an official statement from the man himself, this looks like a standard "golden handcuffs" arrangement. You buy a company, and offer critical leadership / braintrust a generous financial incentive to remain onboard for a few years. This gives you time to stabilize and integrate, as well as to do some knowledge transfer, and provides assurance to shareholders that you are carefully optimizing the value of the new investment. After three years, that retention bonus is fully vested, and the parent company might assume they can take it from here on their own, and opt out of renewing the former leaders' high-value contracts.
It's a cold take, but this is fairly normal for corporate acquisitions. As a person who used and loved Boogie amps since the 80s, this doesn't feel great. If I force myself to view this just as business, it doesn't seem unusual. Big companies purchase smaller companies, and like it or not, the culture / vibe may change. Gibson has an opportunity to demonstrate some vision here, and they need to show the world (and their investors) they have the reigns on this bronco. Let the off-track wagers begin.
It's a cold take, but this is fairly normal for corporate acquisitions. As a person who used and loved Boogie amps since the 80s, this doesn't feel great. If I force myself to view this just as business, it doesn't seem unusual. Big companies purchase smaller companies, and like it or not, the culture / vibe may change. Gibson has an opportunity to demonstrate some vision here, and they need to show the world (and their investors) they have the reigns on this bronco. Let the off-track wagers begin.