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Ask HN: Why do SPACs seem so shady? Are they market scams?

10 points by rexreed ↗ HN
The more I see of SPACs, the more it looks shady based on the sorts of companies pursuing SPACs. Why do SPACs exist vs. the typical way that companies go public? Are SPACs legit or some form of market game?

5 comments

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ameliaibwne
"SPACs are a way for companies to list on the public markets without going through the onerous process of listing normally [...]. SPACs raise money from the public markets to buy a private firm, in effect making that firm publicly traded."

https://sifted.eu/articles/healthtech-babylon-spac/

SPACs "possibly a “softer” route to the public stock markets."

https://sifted.eu/articles/etoro-goes-spac-route/

boeingUH60
They're not necessarily scams, but SPACs have more leeway as regards regulations, so it's no surprise we see shady folks flocking towards it.

For example, the kind of financial projections allowed in SPAC disclosures will never pass the smell test in a conventional S-1 filing for an IPO. It's kind of the wild,wild west now with a high noise-to-signal ratio.

Hopefully, the suitable regulations will gradually roll in, as current SEC chair Gary Gensler is pushing for.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/12/09/sec-chair-gensler-seeks-...