Former Whole Foods CEO Reveals Activist Investor Threats Forced Amazon Sale
Whole Foods cofounder John Mackey has revealed that activist investors threatened to fire him and his entire executive team before selling the company. The confrontation ultimately led to the $13.7 billion Amazon acquisition despite Mackey’s initial reluctance to sell.
Activist Investor Confrontation
John Mackey, the 72-year-old cofounder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market, has disclosed that he never wanted to sell the company to Amazon but was forced into the deal by activist investors who threatened to take over his board and fire him, according to his recent interview on the Habits & Hustle podcast.