Silver Lake in Talks to Buy Workday, Sources Say: Reuters Exclusive
The potential buyout would be one of the largest software deals ever as Workday faces pressure from artificial intelligence and a 40% stock drop.
- On August 13, private equity firm Silver Lake entered talks to acquire Workday, a human-resources and financial management software company with a market value of about $43 billion, in a deal that would rank among the largest software buyouts in history.
- Founded in 2005 by former PeopleSoft executives Aneel Bhusri and David Duffield, Workday serves more than 11,500 customers globally, including Netflix and Thomson Reuters, with Bhusri returning as chief executive in February.
- Workday's shares have fallen about 15% this year and are down over 40% from their 2024 peak, as investors question the durability of traditional software amid rapid artificial intelligence advancement.
- Large technology buyouts are reemerging after muted activity, with this potential acquisition following Thoma Bravo's $16 billion Dayforce deal earlier this year and Silver Lake's roughly $55 billion Electronic Arts transaction last year.
- Negotiations remain ongoing with no guarantee a deal will materialize, and neither Silver Lake nor Workday immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the confidential discussions.
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Silver Lake in talks to acquire HR platform Workday
By Rajwa Quasim Private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks to acquire human resources and financial management software company Workday in what could become one of the largest software buyouts on record. The deal could mark a turning point for the software sector, which is facing growing pressure from the rise of artificial intelligence. Before Reuters first reported on the potential deal, Workday had a market value of about $43 billion, and sh…
Silver Lake is reportedly in talks to take Workday private at $43bn
Silver Lake is reportedly in talks to take Workday private at roughly $43bn, in what would be one of the largest software buyouts ever and the first mega take-private of a marquee SaaS name.
If the deal comes into effect, the acquisition could become one of the largest in the software industry. For financing, the financial investor could attract more lenders.
Workday, one of the world's top three human resources and financial management software companies, is expected to be acquired by a private equity firm. Reuters reported on the 13th (local time), citing sources familiar with the matter, that Silver Lake, a major U.S. private equity firm, is discussing the acquisition of Workday. If the deal goes through, it is expected to be one of the largest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the history of the …
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