Host will be able to buy airbnb stock before the IPO. US hosts only, that is. How fair is that?

[VictorandNatalia0]

Hi everyone,

Just read an article yesterday saying that airbnb will offer it's hosts the option of buying stock pre IPO because its hosts are such an essential part of airbnb. I thought that was really cool of them, a different company mindset. But it seems that only hosts in the US will have that option. All that fair treatment and ethics went down the drain. According to that article, US hosts represent just 14% of the total number, and yet, they are somehow better than any of you who is not hosting in the US, not doing such a great job at hosting and making AIRBNB what it is, globally. I feel somewhat discriminated against. 

[Emiel1]

@VictorandNatalia0 

We should ALL have some for free !

[Chas137]

I just read a similar article, I am definitely feeling discriminated based on where I live ( in Canada) Air bnb did the right thing acknowledging that the hosts are it’s reason for success but it’s unfair that only US host can obtain stock pre-ipo. I’ve been a host for 4 years now and it’s the average joe like me that allows the wealth accumulate of air bnb owners and investors. Why am I less worthy of this benefit?  Air bnb is insulting a large percentage of its hosts I would not be surprised if a large portion of us leave for other opportunities. How utterly disappointing! 

[VictorandNatalia0]

@Chas137, it seems to me they are acknowledging certain things only when it makes for good marketing. Otherwise it is business as usual, not much setting them apart from america.inc. And I am not saying I didn't benefit from the services the airbnb platform provided, but the fact that they decided to offer pre-ipo stocks just to certain hosts, it truly is disappointing. 

[Helen3]

Whether it's getting the majority of the grant money that Airbnb made available to hosts earlier this year during Covid (the US got a third, yes a third as a single country of the total grants that were available to hosts throughout the world) , getting free copies of the Airbnb magazine (not available for other countries) ,  priority for Airbnb gifts and now being given options of pre buying stock not available to hosts outside of the US, Airbnb clearly favours US hosts in terms of how it operates.

Perhaps not surprising as it is a US company but rather hypocritical in the face of all it's talk around equality and diversity. @VictorandNatalia0  @Chas137  @Emiel1 

[James2578]

I’m in the US. How do I purchase the stock b4 it hits the market tomorrow?

[Lisa723]

@James2578 you would have had to respond to the email invitation from Airbnb before 11/30.

Personally, though I was invited, I would not do this. It's making a bet that the stock will immediately and substantially rise from the IPO price, which is a gamble I wouldn't take.

[Debra300]

@Lisa723,

I am with you.  I didn't accept my invitation, either.  I am from the Bay Area, work in the tech industry, and was there when the boom and bust occurred during the first decade of this century.  All too often, the people who got to purchase the stock early were not allowed to sell during the period that it rose dramatically.  When they were finally permitted to sell, they were left with significant loses when the price settled.  Some people incurred a large amount of debt, because they remortgaged their homes, and spent the proceeds on the "sure to be hot" stock.

Personally, I think that the only way that the company will survive is if a larger more established company buys it, given the amount of debt that Airbnb has, the fact that it's never turned a profit, and the scrutiny it will get regarding its business practices and policies.

[Ash3640]

Hello, I have same questions

[Linda3075]

Even some (who knows how many)  of the US AirBnB owners were shut out of the pre-purchase. 
it was a great marketing idea. Get us interested and then say no 

[Mark116]

If we got an email we didn't see it, but I don't think we got one...but this typical Airbnb...sneaky and under handed.  I don't know why they wouldn't have made a point to allow all their hosts to buy shares at the initial share price, but I'm not surprised at all that what they did was half a88ed, random and under publicized.  

The only possible benefit to Airbnb being a public company is that they will have to be more transparent going forward and this could, conceivably, improve their operations significantly.

[VictorandNatalia0]

The stock market this year ignored most of its own rules and the airbnb debut today proved i was rightly interested in buying stock at a pre ipo price. From those who were invited, can anyone confirm at what price could you have purchased shares?

Anyhow, my reason for posting here was not whether it made sense buying airbnb stock or not, but rather the option of doing it for some, just US hosts to be specific, while the rest is a 2nd class type of host. How will it perform down the road as a publicly owned company is a different story.

Good luck and health to everyone.