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Strange story of Uber's massive fund raising deal from Saudi govt

Two years ago, the money helped Uber settle its war with Didi Chuxing in China, fortified its position against rival Lyft Inc

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of Uber is seen on an iPad, during a news conference to announce Uber resumes ride-hailing service, in Taipei, Taiwan | Reuters photo

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Even as Uber’s lawyers finalised the details of the deal, they still couldn’t quite believe it would really happen. The Saudi Arabian government was set to give the San Francisco-based startup 

$3.5 billion, an astronomical amount. The company’s legal team had to double-check that it was even possible to send that much money in a single wire transfer. 

But on June 1, 2016, the Saudi Public Investment Fund sent Uber Technologies Inc. the cash in one lump sum. It was the largest single investment from a foreign government to a venture-backed startup ever—and still is. 

The sprawling consequences of that mega-deal have yet

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