Airbnb proposes to make equity investments in the company

Airbnb's letter was in response to the SEC's request in mid-July about the eventual revision of the rules to allow private companies to "concert economically" to offer actions to their so-called entrepreneurs.

"We would like our most loyal hosts to be shareholders, but we need these policies to change to make it happen," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement. He added, "We would like to expand the ways in which they can leverage our community model and access other economic opportunities."

Airbnb said in its letter that an updated rules of the SEC should expand the eligibility of shares to be received to people with "substantial but non-traditional relationships" with the issuer of the company. 39; shares. Expanding eligibility would give more ordinary Americans, who participate in the sharing economy, the potential to benefit from private enterprise, Airbnb said.

For decades, regulators have generally excluded most private transactions from small investors, who must meet strict income and equity requirements to participate because of the added risk of private investment. Only employees and investors who meet certain standards of wealth or income, such as household income of $ 300,000 or more, are eligible for stock options and dividends under current SEC rules for corporations private.

Airbnb said in the letter that the SEC could limit the types of cases that benefit from the sharing economy exemption to prevent the exploitation of the rule.

Founded in 2008, Airbnb has more than 5 million listings in more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries. Airbnb said its guests have earned more than $ 40 billion in revenue since the start of the company.

Write to Aisha Al-Muslim at [email protected]