Daniel Ek has now cashed out $800m+ in Spotify inventory, along with his newest transaction banking $28.8m

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek offered one other $28.8 million price of firm shares final week, persevering with a divestment sample that has now generated round $807.9 million in proceeds since mid-2023.

The manager offloaded 50,000 shares on Wednesday (April 30) at Tuesday’s closing worth of $576.94 per share, based on an SEC submitting noticed by MBW.

The transaction marks Ek’s ninth inventory sale this yr and his nineteenth since initiating the promoting streak in July 2023. Ek has established a biweekly promoting sample in 2025, cashing out about $267.8 million in Spotify inventory since January.

His earlier transaction on April 16 concerned promoting 50,000 shares for $28.2 million. The manager has foregone a conventional wage since July 2017, opting as a substitute for a performance-based bonus scheme tied to development metrics.

In July 2023, Ek offered 675,000 shares for USD $100 million;
In October 2023, he offered 400,000 shares for $64.2 million;
In February 2024, Ek offered 250,000 shares for $57.5 million;
In April 2024, Ek offered 400,000 shares for $118.8 million;
In November 2024, Ek offered 75,000 shares for $35.8 million;
In November 2024, Ek offered one other 75,000 shares for $34.8 million;
In November 2024, Ek offered 75,000 shares once more, this time for $36.1 million;
In December 2024, Ek offered one other 75,000 shares for $37 million;
Additionally in December 2024, Ek offered 60,000 shares for $28.3 million;
And once more in December, Ek offered 60,000 shares for $27.2 million;
In January 2025, Ek offered 60,000 shares for $27.8 million;
Additionally in January 2025, Ek offered 60,000 shares for $29.3 million;
In February 2025, Ek offered 60,000 shares for $37.3 million;
And once more in February 2025, Ek offered 50,000 shares for $31.5 million;
In March 2025, Ek offered 50,000 shares for $29.2 million;
Additionally in March 2025, Ek offered 50,000 shares for $28.5 million;
In April 2025, EK offered 50,000 shares for $27.6 million;
Additionally in April 2025, Ek offered 50,000 shares for $28.2 million;
And once more in April 2025, Ek offered 50,000 shares for $28.8 million

Ek’s newest divestment comes as Spotify delivered one other quarter of working revenue and subscriber growth in Q1. Working revenue for the January-March interval reached €509 million ($535.6m), which was under SPOT’s steerage of €548 million. Regardless of lacking the goal, it nonetheless marked the corporate’s highest quarterly working revenue up to now.

Spotify additionally grew its international Premium Subscriber base to 268 million paying customers in Q1 because it added 5 million web subs, beating its personal steerage by 3 million. Income in the course of the quarter jumped 15% YoY to €4.190 billion ($4.4bn).

Ek advised analysts in the course of the firm’s earnings name: “There’s lots of uncertainty on the planet. And when volatility rises, it’s pure to ask who could be affected and the way. And from the place I sit, Spotify is faring higher than most.”

Through the name, executives revealed that Spotify remains to be engaged on a brilliant premium tier, though Ek acknowledged that “we do want the companions to come back to the desk and be a part of this journey.”

Ek was additionally optimistic that the corporate can get to 1 billion subscribers sooner or later. “If you happen to ask me what’s the North Star objective right here, on what number of paying prospects we might get, I don’t know, however I don’t see it [as] not possible to get to 1 billion subscribers.”

When it comes to pricing, Ek mentioned, “I believe the chance [in pricing] is large.” Spotify raised the value for its Premium tier in america in June 2024, to $11.99. Spotify can also be reportedly getting ready worth will increase throughout a lot of markets in Europe and Latin America beginning this summer season (however not within the US). The platform lately raised subscription charges by as much as 22% in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Ek nonetheless maintains important management over the streaming big regardless of his current divestments. In keeping with Spotify’s February 20-F submitting, he held a 14.3% possession stake carrying 29.1% voting energy as of the top of 2024.

Fellow co-founder Martin Lorentzon has additionally diminished his holdings, promoting $556.8 million in Spotify inventory final yr by his holding firm Rosello Co. Ltd. Collectively, the 2 co-founders have liquidated approximately $1.37 billion in shares since mid-2023.

On Wednesday, SPOT’s inventory worth closed 6% larger at $613.98. The present share worth is up 119% from a yr earlier, and up 34% because the begin of the yr.

Music Enterprise Worldwide