Vulture Capitalists Pursue Masimo (one of my favorite companies)

Corporate raiders are capitalists that prey on weak (or perceived weak) companies. They buy up enough stock to make a play for seats on the board of directors with an eye toward “maximizing shareholder value.” In some cases they do. In others, they sell off pieces of the company and lines of business and leave shareholders with a husk of a company.

Usually they go after the CEO saying he’s paid too much, and that sort of thing. That’s what is at issue in this case. They have started a proxy fight for Masimo Corporation. It produces pulse oximeters and patient monitoring systems. The people seeking to get board seats have no experience in the relevant market, and want to depose the guy who founded the company and replace him with corporate people. While I do not assert that anyone should vote in any particular way, I caution folks who get proxy cards from an entity other than the company (and this is ANY company) to do your own research and due diligence.