Founded in 2005 and public since 2012, Workday serves over 11,500 global customers|Coolcaesar|CC BY-SA 4.0
Tech investment firm Silver Lake is eyeing a purchase of the HR and finance management company Workday, which would be one of the largest software buyouts in history, according to Reuters.
The two companies are currently in discussions, but they have not yet confirmed a deal.
Before reports of the negotiations, Workday’s stock had fallen more than 40% from its 2024 peak as the company faced growing pressure in the cloud software market, reshaped by artificial intelligence.
However, shares jumped 18% on Thursday following reports of the potential deal, pushing Workday’s market value from about $43 billion to roughly $51.1 billion.
Founded in 2005 and public since 2012, Workday serves over 11,500 global customers. The company generated $9.6 billion in revenue in 2025, up 13% from the previous year.
Analysts note that Silver Lake may need additional co-investors for the buyout. It had partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and others to finance the $55 billion needed to take Electronic Arts private last year.