Why the SPAC Boom Fizzled | WSJ What Went Wrong

In March 2021, special-purpose acquisition companies raised $36 billion. In July 2022, no new SPACs raised money.
At their peak, SPACs accounted for 70% of all IPOs, with $95 billion raised. But now, the market has dried up and shares of companies that did SPAC deals have crashed. WSJ explains the decline of the IPO vehicle.
Illustration: Ali Larkin
What Went Wrong explores the challenging conditions and decisions that led to a company's downturn.
#WSJ #SPACs #IPO

[@CrimsonAlchemist]

It's amazing how Wall Street billionaires & multi billion dollar companies would pour billions of investment into these new companies that never had any sales and didn't really do proper due diligence. While i can't even get a small investment on my businesses that are selling well in millions for years.

[@bngr_bngr]

Money laundering.

[@doomtomb3]

Remember when GM bought into Nikola? Yea that’s how dumb things got

[@user-vq8on7dh1y]

Venture capital, aka Gambling.

[@user-vq8on7dh1y]

If you have a laboratory that produces insulin, you probably can join the game. But at this moment, this game is withering.

[@dying_allthetime]

Because money isn't tied to reality in any tangible form and to them they can always have more printed for them to waste as long as some of their money is making more money

[@TravisTerrell]

So you're saying a method to go public that removes the majority of existing oversight and normal barriers results in riskier, more speculative companies becoming listed? Shocking.

[@lambertois11]

The SPAC were fuelled by low interest rates and massive QE. The source of cheap money has dried out. The SPAC, the hedge funds, the private equity are taking are taking the hit.

[@protradingmarket]

Great work,Thanks.

[@FinickyHorseGameStudios]

Great information, thank you!

[@eremite2693]

Wallstreet pumped shitcos to naive retail investors and robbed them of their money.

[@jerrykreutzer4326]

The retail investors voluntarily made risky investments based on memes and tweets. I have little sympathy for them.

[@lebronsinclair8012]

Instead of improving society and seeing tangible results we care about “growth.” I’m over it…

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

First time I heard about lack of oversight and checking for SPACs didn't listen further and walked away. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

Lol 😂 SPAC Are excellent and investments when you are in at the very beginning it’s like money falling out of the pockets of the investors who come later kind of like a pyramid scheme. As soon as it takes off and all the little people who don’t know how the cycle works start investing in the stock prices go out the first founders and investors sell off their stocks at the higher price and back away and then watch the whole thing crumble as everybody who came in later loses. Even when it loses and falls apart there’s always somebody who profits from the beginning. Always follow the money backwards

[@zhubotang927]

Most people don’t realize that money for some people don’t come from labour, or hourly wages or even inheritance. Fiat money are created out of thin air and bestowed to people close to the power or central hierarchy. These money could say never really existed. They are just an entry in a central database somewhere. And bankers or whoever first access them can recklessly gamble with them because it never really existed. It is not a house or car or kitchen utensils. Real things have values. Money in financial terms are just credit can be easily created or written off.

[@Buttersausage]

😂

[@K4R3N]

Thanks Mr. Gensler

[@BroAnarchy]

This video was SPACtacular

[@freemote]

can we get though that chart, tks

[@BenWilson24]

Because too many of the spac mergers included compabies that were poorly run and fraudulent in some cases. Not ready for primetime at all. It's as if they should have gone through a formal screening process for their IPO instead... it's like we gave a fasttrack option to kids to get their drivers license without a test, then were surprised that a bunch of them caused wrecks

[@gregolas597]

Whoever edited this video needs to take a class in sound mixing

[@bengaltiger96]

It's another way for those with money to get in early, and then soak the rubes and retail investors after. Find the bigger fool after and you're in the clear.

[@jaymacpherson8167]

It seems a SPAC with its “company” formation might further isolate understanding by the SPAC’s investors from the acquisition target’s business viability.

[@shubhamdubey1181]

I have a confusion and will be great if someone can help resolve it. 0:51-0:59 You mentioned the SPAC is taken public, which means general public can buy shares. 1:23-1:27 You mentioned the private company replaces the SPAC and investors (I assume you mean general public) can now buy shares. A natural question is, when general public can buy shares - before acquisition/merger or after that? I have other questions too but let's keep it simple for now.

[@auro1986]

wsj will make acquisitions?

[@haonyoass9556]

I don’t even understand how this is legal. It seems like their only purpose is to avoid the rules we’ve put in place. You’d think whoever put those rules in place would’ve accounted for something like this.

[@sweealamak628]

Folks who bought into ARRIVAL are unfortunate to be fooled by the slick looking videos and high moral ground that appealed to the untrained eye. My only hope is that they've learnt their lesson without losing their livelihood.

[@ToySeeker]

Fascinating, It's like building a financial rocket.... If you don't get it into space. It blows. Vertical Growth! I like the idea, the reality was different. It did create some cool products! 😅😅

[@ToySeeker]

Also, the SEC regulations? Does that not validate the financial.... concept.

[@ropro9817]

Lol, the stupidity born of greed never ceases to amaze me. Why is this even legal? 😆

[@drmode]

Simple. No free money anymore

[@businessgoat8945]

Chamath so funny

[@Juan_Manuel_Marco_Moya]

The market is really unstable at the moment. Please is there any other way I could make a profit??

[@behithahawkins3210]

Stock market has been a vital source of income to me ever since I came in contact with her with a professional trader Lucy Baldwin. Thanks for the educative knowledge.

[@carrilloandrews8218]

After I came across investment platform of Mrs Lucy Baldwin my financial life has totally changed. I'm not bothered about the market fluctuations.

[@eduwase_andrew]

Wow, l know her also and After I came across her investment platform, I'm not bothered about the market fluctuations. I have been trading with her, she's such an amazing woman with good skills keeps me happy all week knowing I earn $ 15,000 extra income with her investment platform.

[@samanthafletcher1485]

My success behind the overflow profit in trading in crypto does not hang on my skills but the support of Mrs Lucy.

[@russellarthur8216]

@Elaine Cory I need her help, my investments aren't holding up well and I'd like to making weekly profits, Please, how do I contact her???

[@MjSteez]

Yo

[@Syzygy_Bliss]

I mean, if a company’s so bad that it can’t go public through traditional means, why expect it to perform well as a public company. I’m sympathetic to companies with non-traditional structures and revenue. But being non-traditional isn’t an excuse for being non-viable. With that said, i’m more than happy to see vcs burn their money funding cool work. I just wish the work was more than just cool. Perhaps even useful would be nice?

[@albear972]

Perfect example, *DWAC* 😂🤣😂

[@Continentalmunkey88]

EUMay resurrect SPAC format just for companies like chewy, and nursing homes but state will always prioritize public human bodies over cats and dogs unlike

[@rriveranotario]

Fun like it is presented as a bad thing

[@davidbest8912]

Greed out of control

[@currentaf8455]

Chamath aka spac jesus.

[@doomtomb3]

He’s a charlatan

[@K4R3N]

Product of our environment

[@Continentalmunkey88]

Might catch bitcoin slip-ups

[@mzamroni]

I thought spac was sub prime acquisition company. Sub prime=sh.. (margot robbie, the big short)

[@MrMadvillan]

a last ditch pump and dump for terrible companies that probably shouldn’t exists.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Turns out rushing companies to go public so early investors can sell out or put "billionaire" on their LinkedIn page isn't the best idea

[@marsspacex6065]

Textbook bubble with worthless companies like virgin galactic.

[@2beJT]

scams only work for so long