Luminar Sale Approved Despite Last-Minute Mystery Bid

Luminar sale approved to MicroVision for $33M despite last-minute higher bid from likely founder Austin Russell. Full story inside.
Matilda
Luminar Sale Approved Despite Last-Minute Mystery Bid
Luminar Sale Approved Despite Mystery Bid Drama A federal bankruptcy judge has officially approved the sale of Luminar Technologies' lidar business to MicroVision for $33 million—despite a dramatic last-minute bid that reportedly exceeded the winning offer. The mystery bidder, described in court as an "insider purchaser" with significant "infirmities" in its proposal, is widely believed to be company founder Austin Russell. The approval marks the effective end of Luminar as an independent entity after years of hype, billions in market value, and a steep collapse in the autonomous vehicle hardware sector. Credit: Luminar The Final Hours Before Collapse Just moments before Tuesday's scheduled bankruptcy hearing, the courtroom buzzed with unexpected energy. An unidentified party submitted a substantially higher offer for Luminar's core lidar assets—throwing the carefully orchestrated sale process into chaos. Lawyers for Luminar immediately convened emergency m…