$40bn Arm takeover collapses

The $40bn (£30bn) US takeover of Arm Holdings, one of Britain’s biggest tech firms, has collapsed in the face of opposition from regulators. 

Authorities in the UK, US and EU raised concerns over its impact on competition in the global semiconductor industry, the Financial Times reported. 

It also said that Arm, based in Cambridge, may face a management reshuffle. It is understood that Rene Haas, head of the company’s intellectual property unit, could replace chief executive Simon Segars.

US chipmaker Nvidia will now have to pay a break-up fee of up to $1.25bn to the seller, Japan’s SoftBank, which is expected to seek an initial public offering to unload Arm, according to the report.

Arm designs microchip technology that features in smartphones, laptops and billions of internet-of-things devices. 

It has hundreds of customers, and opponents of the deal have said it would mean Arm being transformed from an independent chip designer to one under Nvidia’s wing, meaning it could favour its US owner over other companies. 

The sale was being investigated by the UK Competition and Markets Authority on national security grounds. 

A US government legal challenge seeking to block the sale was due to begin in August.