GameStop Wants To Buy Its Way To $100 Billion: Marathon Digital Could Do The Trick

Core Viewpoint - GameStop Corp. is exploring significant strategic moves, including increasing its stake in Bitcoin and potentially acquiring companies to boost its market capitalization, which currently stands at $11 billion, with aspirations to reach $100 billion [2][3][4]. Group 1: Stock Performance and CEO Compensation - GameStop shares are currently trading 81% below their 2021 high of $121 [2]. - If GameStop's market capitalization rises to $100 billion, CEO Ryan Cohen could earn $35 billion based on a recent compensation plan [3]. Group 2: Acquisition Strategies - GameStop is considering acquiring Marathon Digital for $5.5 billion, which would be a 35% premium, and could use its remaining cash of $2.5 billion to buy more Bitcoin, potentially transforming into a Bitcoin miner [5][6]. - The acquisition of Marathon could position GameStop as one of the largest Bitcoin producers, with the combined company's value potentially soaring five to ten-fold if Bitcoin prices rise significantly [6][7]. Group 3: Alternative Acquisition Options - An alternative acquisition target is Discord, valued between $5 billion to $8 billion, which could provide access to a large user base for targeted game-related promotions [13]. - Achieving a $100 billion market capitalization through the Discord acquisition might take three to five years, requiring $3 billion to $5 billion in revenue during that period [15]. Group 4: Market Conditions and Valuation - The premium on Bitcoin holdings has decreased, with the multiplier-to-net asset value falling from over 2.4 to around 1.1 due to high share dilution and investor concerns [10]. - Wall Street currently views GameStop as 42% overvalued, setting a price target of $13.50, indicating that achieving ambitious goals will require bold strategies [16].