Starboard Value Takes $500M Stake in Autodesk, Pushes for Changes

Activist investor Starboard Value has taken a $500 million stake in Autodesk and is pushing for significant changes within the company. Starboard has expressed concerns over Autodesk's operational strategies, corporate governance, and the handling of a recent accounting investigation that negatively impacted the stock price. The probe found no material issues but revealed delayed disclosures, which led to the ousting of Autodesk's CFO and a 20% drop in share value. Starboard criticized the timing of the investigation's disclosure, suggesting it was intended to limit shareholder influence on board nominations. The activist investor is now considering legal action to reopen the director-nomination window and delay the annual shareholders meeting slated for July 16.