Why Berkshire Hathaway is betting nearly $1 billion on Bending Spoons

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is set to invest nearly $1 billion in Bending Spoons, the owner of AOL and Vimeo. This is an unexpected move for the conglomerate, which has typically avoided tech investments. However, there are similarities between the two companies that make the deal intriguing. Both are decentralized conglomerates that buy businesses to own them long-term, and they share a decentralized approach to management.

Bending Spoons, led by CEO Luca Ferrari, acquires digital businesses and transforms them to increase profits. The company has never sold a material business and has made significant changes to its acquisitions, such as shrinking the Evernote team from 350 employees to around 20 within a year. Berkshire has agreed to buy 10 million shares for $33 each, a 13% discount to Bending Spoons' closing price of $38 the day before the deal was announced.

While the investment is a significant one for Bending Spoons, it is relatively small compared to Berkshire's overall market capitalization of $1.1 trillion. The deal could represent an evolution in Berkshire's investing style following Buffett's departure as CEO and chairman. Both companies share a philosophy of long-term ownership and a deep interest in learning across different domains.