Expedia chief may have reservations on Uber offer

Expedia chairman Barry Diller confirms Dara Khosrowshahi wants to accept Uber's offer but everything has not yet been finalised.

expedia chief dara khosrowshahi
Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi poses for a portrait during the 2010 Reuters Travel and Leisure Summit in New York, U.S. on February 22, 2010 Reuters

Expedia chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi has just been confirmed by chairman Barry Diller in a company memorandum that he intends to accept the ride-hailing company's offer. However, he has not left Expedia yet which prompts speculations that Khosrowshahi has reservations.

Diller on Monday issued an internal memorandum around addressed to all Expedia employees regarding the imminent exit of Khosrowshahi. According to Diller, Khosrowshahi is interested to accept Uber's offer as its new chief.

Also read: Who should be Uber's next CEO?

Diller mentioned in regulatory filings that the 48-year-old Dara Khosrowshahi is likely to accept the offer. But contrary to speculations that Khosrowshahi still has his personal reservations, Diller noted that the arrangement has not yet been finalised as of now.

Here's the letter of Barry Diller:

To:
All Expedia Employees

From:
Barry Diller

Re:
DK Update

As you probably know by now, Dara Khosrowshahi has been asked to lead Uber. Nothing has been yet finalized, but having extensively discussed this with Dara I believe it is his intention to accept. I also know the struggle he has been having out of both his abiding enthusiasm for Expedia's future as well as his loyalty to all of us. I know Dara would like to communicate now with all of you but I've asked him not to until this is fully resolved. If Dara does leave us, it will be to my great regret but also my blessing - he's devoted 12 great years to building this Company and if this is what he wants for his next adventure it will be with my best wishes. I say that because he deserves nothing less and I say that also because he will leave behind a tremendously talented corps of executives...

We both will be back in touch very soon.

Sincerely,
Barry Diller

Also read: Uber's first full-time CEO says goodbye to its global operations

If everything is in finality, Khosrowshahi will succeed Uber's controversial former chief executive Travis Kalanick who stepped down from his post in June. Khosrowshahi has been considered the perfect replacement for Kalanick who has faced a string of various issues year after year.

This article was first published on August 29, 2017
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