Elise Amendola / AP
Founder Richard Schulze, who stepped down as chairman, is trying to reclaim control of the company with the help of private equity firms.
By Roland Jones, NBC News
Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET: Richard Schulze, the founder and former chairman of Best Buy, has offered to buy the struggling electronics retailer and take it private in a deal that values the company at more than $8.1 billion.
Schulze is offering to buy all the outstanding shares of Best Buy (BBY) he does not already own for $24 to $26 per share in cash, at least a 36 percent premium over Friday's closing price. The company?s shares were up 16 percent at $20.49 in midday trading Monday, suggesting a lukewarm reception for Schulze?s offer.
The potential deal values the struggling electronics retailer at between $8.16 billion and $8.84 billion, according to Reuters.
In a statement, Best Buy confirmed that its Board of Directors had received Schulze?s letter, which it called ?an unsolicited, highly conditional indication of interest.? The company added that it will evaluate the proposal carefully and pursue the best course for its shareholders.
Schulze is Best Buy?s largest shareholder, controlling 20.1 percent of the company?s shares.
He is seeking the board?s permission to conduct due diligence on the company and put together a consortium that includes other executives and private-equity investors to make an offer for Best Buy. Minnesota corporate law requires Schulze to seek permission from company directors to form the group.
?It is my strong preference to pursue an acquisition cooperatively with the Best Buy Board of Directors,? he said in a statement. ?I have made repeated requests to the Board for several weeks to provide me with due diligence information and the consent to form a group required under Minnesota law, both of which will be necessary to reach a definitive agreement.?
Schulze said his preference was for private negotiation with Best Buy, but felt the urgency of Best Buy situation required immediate action, noting that further delay and indecision would lead to the loss of talented company leaders and company value.
Best Buy has struggled in recent quarters as customers have migrated to Apple and online retailers such as Amazon.com.
?There is no question that now is the moment of truth for Best Buy and that immediate and substantial changes are needed for the company to return to its market-leading ways,? Schulze said.
Schulze, 71, has reportedly been exploring taking the world's largest electronics retailer private since stepping down as its chairman in June.
He stepped down from the company after an internal probe found he failed to tell the retailer?s board about allegations that former chief executive Brian Dunn was having an inappropriate relationship with a 29-year-old female subordinate.
Dunn, who resigned in April, ?violated company policy by engaging in an extremely close personal relationship with a female employee that negatively impacted the work environment,? according to an internal investigation by the retailer?s audit committee.
Analyst Michael Lasser of UBS told CNBC he is doubtful that private-equity investors would want to get involved in a deal for Best Buy.
?Recent history has shown that within retail it?s very hard to bring back a challenged retailer to the public markets,? he said, citing Toys ?R? Us and ?several other examples.?
?That to me suggests a lot of skepticism around this deal,? he added.
Analyst Joe Feldman of the Telsey Advisory Group told CNBC it might be beneficial for the company to become private, as it would be good for executives to focus on turning it around without the scrutiny of Wall Street and company shareholders.
However, the takeover offer raises the question of what new insights Schulze, who stepped down in June, has when it comes to turning around the company.
Click here to check Best Buy?s share price.
Michael Lasser, UBS analyst, explains the impact of the retailer going private and assess the outlook on the company's sales and earnings.
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