Billionaire 7-Eleven Heirs’ Buyout Bid Followed Hasty U-Turn

  • Founder’s heirs leading effort to counter Couche-Tard
  • Family’s combined fortune is estimated at about $4.8 billion
Junro Ito in 2017.Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
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It was just three months ago that Junro Ito, the heir behind Japan’s 7-Eleven chain, was pitching investors to buy the stock of Seven & i Holdings Co.

“We would like to spread our retail business and strengths in food not only within Japan but also around the world,” the billionaire told retail investors in a video interview in August. “I hope that you will become a shareholder and watch over our growth together.”