Ronald HoldenSays the Wall Street Journal this afternoon, Amazon.com had apparently been sniffing around Whole Foods for several weeks before revealing its $42 a share bid last month. Two other companies and four private-equity firms had also approached Whole Foods about a possible deal before the Austin, Tex., grocer struck a deal with Amazon, according to the proxy statement. The chase began in mid-April when Jana Partners LLC took a 9% position in Whole Foods. The organic grocer's founder, John Mackey, unhappy with the new ownership, raised the possibility of a deal with Amazon. Whole Foods was getting advice from Evercore, a mid-size investment banking and private equity firm in New York.

Source: Forbes July 07, 2017 18:45 UTC