Uber Technologies is in early talks to buy food-delivery company Deliveroo for several billion dollars, according to people familiar with the plans.
A bid for London-based Deliveroo, last valued at more than $2 billion, would mark a major attempt by Uber to dominate the food-delivery business in Europe. An acquisition price is unknown. Any offer would need to be considerably above its latest valuation, according to people with direct knowledge of Deliveroo plans.
The talks could fall apart, in part because Deliveroo and its investors have been reluctant to relinquish independence, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Spokesmen at Deliveroo and Uber declined to comment.
Although little-known in the crowded US market, which it has avoided, Deliveroo is ubiquitous in Europe’s capitals. The service is available in more than 200 cities on four continents.
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Shares in rival food delivery companies dropped Friday. Delivery Hero SE fell as much as 2.8 per cent in early trading in Frankfurt, while Just Eat dropped as much as 6.7 per cent in London.
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi has made the company’s food-delivery business a top priority ahead of a planned initial public offering in the second half of 2019. The San Francisco-based company is weighing other acquisitions, too. It’s in talks with Middle Eastern ride-sharing rival Careem, people familiar with the matter have said. After selling its ride-hailing businesses in Southeast Asia, China and Russia, Uber is eager to buy competitors, rather than sell its remaining local businesses.
Deliveroo is one of Europe’s biggest startups and last year raised about $480 million from investors including Fidelity Investments and T Rowe Price Group. The company competes directly with Uber Eats, Uber’s food delivery business.
Deliveroo was in financing talks last year with SoftBank Group, one of Uber’s major investors. The negotiations abruptly ended after SoftBank concentrated on backing Uber.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
