On 22 November, 2011, Cayman Islands-incorporated Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited, a leading interactive entertainment media company in China, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with the British Virgin Islands-registered Premium Lead Company Limited and New Era Investment Holdings, a newly-formed exempted company with limited liability, incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
By terms of the agreement, the BVI company will acquire Shanda Interactive for the price of US$20.675 per ordinary share or US$41.35 per American Depositary Share, each representing two ordinary shares. The transaction values Shanda's equity at approximately US$2.3 billion on a fully diluted basis.
The BVI company is jointly owned by Mr. Tianqiao Chen, who is the Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of Shanda, his wife Ms. Qian Qian Chrissy Luo, who is a non-executive director of Shanda, and his brother Mr. Danian Chen, who is the Chief Operating Officer and a director of Shanda. New Era Investment Holding Ltd. is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the BVI-domiciled Premium Lead Company Limited.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, New Era Investment Holdings will be merged with and into Shanda, which will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BVI company; each of Shanda's ordianry shares issued and outstanding prior to the time of the merger will be converted into the right to receive US$20.675 in cash per ordinary share without interest.
Currently the transaction is expected to close before the end of the first quarter 2012. In case the transaction is completed, Shanda will become privately-held, and will be delisted from the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
