Rubbish Check
Forbes Business · 28 August 2026
source“PayPal Plunges 15% After Reports That Advent, Stripe Abandon $53 Billion Bid”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Forbes's claim that PayPal "plunges 15%" after Stripe and Advent walked from their $53 billion bid a 2/10, because the drop is real and correctly attributed to the Bloomberg report, though the headline's dramatic framing skips over the fact PayPal is still trading above where it sat before the takeover rumors began.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The percentage, the cause, and the sequence of events all check out against the reporting, so this isn't spin so much as a headline that picks the punchiest number without noting the stock still holds most of its takeover-rumor gains underneath the drop.
What actually happened
Bloomberg reported Thursday night that Stripe and Advent International had abandoned their pursuit of PayPal, and the stock sold off sharply the next morning. The deal had been in the works since mid-July, with PayPal reportedly resisting the $60.50-per-share offer as too low while negotiations dragged on.
Key facts
- PayPal stock fell as much as 16% in premarket trading Friday, opening around $53.74 after Thursday's $61.47 close.
- The reported per-share offer was $60.50, valuing PayPal at over $53 billion.
- PayPal shares had climbed nearly 30% since the takeover reports first surfaced in mid-July, meaning Friday's decline unwinds only part of that rally.
- The Wall Street Journal had previously reported PayPal viewed the offer as insufficient, with price negotiations ongoing before the collapse.
- PayPal's pandemic-era peak valuation was roughly $356 billion, versus the $53 billion reported offer, underscoring how far the stock has fallen from its highs regardless of this deal.
What to watch for
Watch whether PayPal's price settles above or below its pre-rumor level once the dust clears; if it holds a premium, the "plunge" framing overstates investor damage. Also watch for any follow-up reporting on why talks broke down (price, diligence, financing) since that detail wasn't in Bloomberg's initial report or this article.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
