Famed for his acerbic attacks on corporate boards, one of Wall Street's most successful investors has achieved some notable successes
When he starting out as a hedge fund manager in the 1990s, Dan Loeb used the nickname Mr Pink while visiting investor chat rooms. It was a reference to the character in Quentin Tarantino's film Reservoir Dogs, who gets away with the diamonds, leaving his co-conspirators dying in a warehouse.
The name has stuck and for good reason: billionaire Loeb has made a habit of getting away with the diamonds. One of Wall Street's most successful investors, he even managed to land a $500m (£326m) windfall from the Greek debt buyback deal.
Famed for his acerbic attacks on corporate boards, he has branded spineless board members as country-club frequenting "socialites"; and people that inherit their shareholdings as members of "The Lucky Sperm Club", while slamming chief executives as chief value destroyers, or CVDs.
It is not just empty rhetoric. With large shareholdings in the companies he attacks, Loeb has achieved some notable successes, such as ousting Yahoo! chief executive Scott Thompson after accusing him of lying on his CV.
But he has softened his tone for his letter to Sony – in which he suggests it spins off its entertainment arm – apparently mindful of Japanese decorum. Instead of a stinging attack on the group's executives, Loeb coupled his proposal of an IPO with praise for the company's turnaround so far.
"Third Point would not have made this substantial investment if we did not believe in a bright future for Sony's global brand, superior technology, and dedicated employees," he wrote. "We are confident that by acting as partners, Sony will grow stronger."
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