"why would someone sell a company for $15 million if it was worth $80-100MM?" -- Mostly shares...what would they be worth to Richard if those #s come true? He would know.
i.e. because of the 800 million dollar value that only the parties involved would know about and could foresee...
i'd certainly sell my firm for 15% of value today if in a year in return i became part of a conglomerate* ;-) worth far greater value, no? and of course shares in said conglomerate*
* "combination of two or more companies engaged in entirely different businesses together into one overarching company"
Weitzel gets to keep 51% of his old company plus he gets 51% of Evermedia's biometrics technology and a public shell that is working with a lot of good people associated with it.
Synergy I think it's called.
And he is CEO of the now larger entity and has a pot full of shares in the parent holding company.
Maybe that is what he saw in the deal that made him think it was a good situation for him.