Softbank and its co-investors acquired an 18% stake in Uber late last week in a move that will give billions in cash to some of the company's earliest investors and employees. The deal’s success was first reported by the Wall Street Journal(content behind paywall). Softbank is slated to now own 15% stakes in Uber, and its co-investors will get 3%. SoftBank and other parties will also give $1.25 billion to the cab aggregator in new investment as part of the transaction. The investment is expected to be closed in January. “We have tremendous confidence in Uber’s leadership and employees and are excited to support Uber as it continues to reinvent how people and goods are transported around the world,” SoftBank’s Rajeev Misra told the media. A report by the Associated Press mentioned that Uber's early investors didn't get the price they wanted. But don't worry, the rich people who invested in Uber early got even richer. Uber’s earliest employees who sold their shares are now millionaires, and venture firms could see billions of dollars added to their coffers. Even though they sold those shares at roughly 30% lower than what they were worth in 2016, those who invested early made nearly 100 times their initial stake, going from around 35 cents per share to just under $33, said one investor who talked to AP on the condition of anonymity. Uber was valued at around $68.5 billion in 2016, but it dropped down to $48 billion in the SoftBank deal announced…
