Berkshire Hathaway Reduces VeriSign Stake with $285 Million Share Offering

Berkshire Hathaway's decision to divest a portion of its stake in VeriSign, Inc. marks the end of an 11-year investment journey with implications for both regulatory compliance and the company's shareholder composition. As announced, affiliates of Berkshire Hathaway are poised to offer 4.3 million shares of VeriSign common stock to the public at $285 per share through an underwritten secondary offering. This strategic move enables Berkshire Hathaway to reduce its ownership stake below the significant ten percent threshold, thereby alleviating the associated regulatory obligations that come with such ownership.

VeriSign, recognized globally for its pivotal role in internet infrastructure and domain name registry services, is not directly selling any of its common stock in this offering. Thus, the proceeds from the sale will entirely benefit the selling stockholders, not the Company. The offering comprises part of a broader strategy by Berkshire Hathaway to strategically manage its investment without engaging in the short-term liquidity pool of VeriSign itself.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, serving as the sole underwriter, is instrumental in executing this offering. They have negotiated terms that include a 365-day lock-up agreement on the remaining VeriSign common stock held by Berkshire Hathaway and its affiliates post-offer. Furthermore, the underwriter holds a 30-day option to purchase an additional 515,032 shares, enhancing the offering's flexibility and potential scale.

Outlined under a prospectus supplement, this offering forms part of a systematic approach compliant with the securities regulation. The offering continues to navigate regulatory routes with the Securities and Exchange Commission's oversight, including an automatic shelf registration filed on July 28, 2025. Investors have access to the prospectus supplement and additional securities filings, available through the SEC's official channels.

Irrespective of investment conclusions, potential risks and uncertainties hover around the completion of the offering under stated terms, or at all. Stakeholders and potential investors are encouraged to review Verisign's comprehensive filings for detailed insight into these variables, including its Annual Report and various Quarterly and Current Reports.

Verisign, sustaining its influential position within the global digital ecosystem, primarily through services supporting internet navigation stability and security, fosters a robust infrastructural backbone for pivotal domain names like .com and .net. This transaction, while significant, does not impede the company's operations but rather shifts the ownership paradigm, allowing Berkshire Hathaway to align its portfolio with current strategic objectives.

Forward-looking statements inherent in this transaction disclose potential variances in outcomes based on evolving market conditions and regulatory requirements. VeriSign maintains transparency with its stakeholders, providing ongoing updates consistent with its SEC filings, though it does not bind itself to revise forward-looking statements post-announcement.

The intricacies of investment strategies and regulatory maneuvering underscore this development, illustrating Berkshire Hathaway's adept handling of its extensive investment portfolio and the tenets of compliant fiscal stewardship.