Amid secretive negotiations to take over Tripadvisor, little information has leaked about the outlines of the prospective deal or even who the buyer might be. But in recent weeks analysts have raised an intriguing possibility.
The Needham-based online travel site has said only that its board formed a special committee and hired a financial adviser this month to evaluate takeover offers. Greg Maffei, who runs the holding company that owns a controlling stake in Tripadvisor, revealed that the company was in play in a securities filing, saying discussions started Feb. 9 for an all-cash takeover.
Analysts have since pointed to a potential buyer: New York private equity firm Certares Management, which focuses on the tourism and travel industry and already owns a stake in Tripadvisor (1.7 million shares, according to a securities filing last year). Certares founder Greg O’Hara has been on Tripadvisor’s board since 2020.
Certares has previously invested in rental car company Hertz,…