Ousted Luminar CEO Austin Russell wants to buy the company

Core Insights - Austin Russell, the billionaire founder of Luminar, is attempting to acquire the lidar manufacturer five months after his removal as CEO due to an ethics inquiry [1][4] - The acquisition plan involves Russell's new company, Russell AI Labs, purchasing 100% of Luminar's Class A Common Stock, with intentions to potentially merge Luminar with a larger automotive technology company to form a unified platform [2][3] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition proposal was made on October 14, following suggestions from certain Luminar shareholders and board members, though specific names were not disclosed [3] - If the acquisition proceeds, Luminar would remain publicly traded, and Russell may invest in the newly combined entity [2] Group 2: Background Context - Russell's removal as CEO was announced on May 19, coinciding with Luminar's first-quarter earnings report, and was attributed to a "code of business conduct and ethics inquiry" conducted by the board's audit committee [4][5] - Russell has a history of takeover attempts, including a failed bid for Forbes in 2023, which faced complications due to investor follow-through issues and alleged connections to a Russian oligarch [6] Group 3: Current Company Structure - Despite his removal, Russell remains on Luminar's board and was expected to assist the new CEO with transition and technology matters, although he has not signed any SEC filings since his departure [8] - Russell co-founded Russell AI Labs in September, which aims to support transformative AI and technology companies, and has already invested $300 million in an AI company called Emergence [9]