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Here's the article without the paywall GameStop chief executive Ryan Cohen is pressing ahead with a long-shot pursuit of eBay despite Wall Street scepticism, quietly amassing a nearly 10 per cent stake in the online marketplace. Cohen has been working behind the scenes in recent weeks to respond to eBay’s rejection of his $56bn cash-and-stock takeover offer in May, which criticised the deal’s financing, leverage levels of the combined group and Cohen’s own economic incentives. “The publicity hasn’t affected my life one bit,” Cohen told the FT. “All I do is work. I want to own eBay — that’s all I’ve been thinking about.” Cohen’s attempt to buy a company fivefold larger than the video game retailer was laughed off on Wall Street, and his assertion in a CNBC interview that the deal was funded by “half cash, half stock” quickly became an online meme. Cohen’s relentless pursuit of eBay is evidence of the changing face of corporate America. Cohen, supported by an army of retail investors who backed his swift takeover of GameStop, is attempting to swallow one of America’s most well-known online retail brands — albeit one that has stagnated while rival Amazon grew to a $1tn-plus market capitalisation. GameStop has almost doubled its eBay stake and Cohen withdrew a bonus plan that eBay’s board criticised that could have paid him as much as $35bn. The GameStop boss has also reshuffled his legal and public relations advisers, reassembling the team that helped him seize GameStop, and has been canvassing the opinion of some of eBay’s other largest investors, according to people familiar with the matter. All of these manoeuvres could be a prelude to Cohen taking his offer directly to shareholders. “We’re keeping all our options on the table,” said Cohen. “The optimist in me tells me they should do the right thing and engage with us but the pessimist in me tells me they’re going to wait till the annual meeting. There’s a lot of steps we can take between now and then.” Despite Wall Street’s scepticism of Cohen’s pursuit, the GameStop boss has already started drawing up plans for how he would shake up eBay if he ever gets inside the C-suite. The remedy is aggressive cost-cutting to bring eBay’s operating expenses in line with Chewy, the online pet food retailer Cohen founded, and rivals such as Wayfair. Operating expenses at eBay have increased by 26 per cent over the five years to $5.6bn last year, while operating income has fallen by 14 per cent to $2.2bn. Despite that, shares in eBay have more than tripled over the course of chief executive Jamie Iannone’s six-year tenure, driving its market value close to all-time highs of nearly $50bn at Friday’s close. Some analysts have, however, praised eBay’s recent performance, pointing to recent improvements in marketplace growth and a disciplined capital allocation strategy. eBay declined to comment. Cohen revealed that he emailed Iannone in May immediately following his public takeover attempt to try to broker a meeting near eBay’s headquarters in San Jose, California. But Iannone was unwilling to meet with the man gunning for his job. “This is really a vote on who shareholders want to run the business,” said Cohen. “It’s about who they want to be the CEO — me or the current CEO.”

Just spent an hour creating a messy watercolor abstract piece, no pressure, just splashes and fun! Art isn’t about perfection—it’s about the joy of letting go

Just bombed my first open mic… till I made a joke about my cat judging my dating apps u0026 the whole room lost it. Turns out, the worst sets are just cat-approved ，

Building new hobbies is the best way to unwind! Try learning calligraphy this weekend—all you need is a pen and paper. #HobbyTips

Cozy morning win: fluffy toast topped with fresh avocado, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a side of iced black coffee. Simple, tasty, and keeps me fueled all day!

Just ran into my college crew at the old diner—laughed till my sides hurt, missed these chaos greys like crazy. Some things never change.

[Craving something vibrant Try Bangkok-style green curry with fragrant jasmine rice! Creamy, spicy, and totally transportive—your taste buds will thank you #ExoticEats]

Community book swap this Sat 10am at Central Park! Bring your pre-loved books, take new reads, and chat with neighbors. Free u0026 fun for all ages!

Master 5 English phrasal verbs in 10 mins! Perfect for daily chats u0026 work emails. Save this post for your next practice!

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Fresh organic tomatoes, basil u0026 pasta are in stock! Grab all you need for a tasty Italian dinner tonight

Explore abstract art at our weekend pop-up! Touch, create, and feel color—no expertise needed, just joy!

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Just stepped on a rubber duck mid-standup set. The room fell silent for 2 full seconds… until someone yelled “QUACK UP!” Wildest crowd reaction I’ve ever got.

The clock strikes 11, the tiny izakaya’s neon flickers warm. Hot ramen steam curls, and silence tastes like salted sake tonight. ，

Passed the CET-6 exam with a high score! All the hard work these days finally paid off.