Lyft CEO Says Company ‘Open to Offers,’ But Not Pursuing a Sale

Lyft Inc. isn’t actively pursuing a sale but would be open to offers, Chief Executive Officer David Risher said in an interview on Bloomberg Television, appearing to soften his view from earlier this year about a potential transaction.

(Bloomberg) — Lyft Inc. isn’t actively pursuing a sale but would be open to offers, Chief Executive Officer David Risher said in an interview on Bloomberg Television, appearing to soften his view from earlier this year about a potential transaction. 

In response to a question Friday during the interview about whether the company was open to an acquisition, Risher said, “If someone calls, a public company has to be.”

The CEO added that while Lyft was “not on the block,” the ride-hailing company would be “open to offers,” though he stopped short of saying it had received interest. 

Risher’s comments are a reversal from the stance he took in March after his appointment as CEO was announced, when he dashed speculation that the company might be headed for the auction block.

Risher, a former Amazon.com Inc. executive, took the helm April 17, replacing co-founder Logan Green. In that short time, Risher has moved quickly to cut 1,072 jobs, or 26% of the workforce, in an effort to achieve profitability and compete with bigger cross-town rival Uber Technologies Inc. He also has called staff back to the office at least three days a week, a stark turnaround from a “fully flexible” work policy implemented last year.

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