Easyjet takeover suitor faces £1 BILLION bill to use the 'easy' brand

Easyjet takeover suitor faces £1 BILLION bill to use the 'easy' brand explains the cost implications for any bidder trying to acquire easyJet. The would-be buyer could face a bill of more than £1 billion to use the “easy” trademark owned by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. easyJet’s board rejected a £4.9 billion bid from US buyout firm Castlelake last week, but granted limited commercial access to its books to support a revised offer due next Sunday. The licensing deal signed in 2010 requires easyJet to pay Haji-Ioannou’s easyGroup an annual royalty of 0.25% of revenues for the next 50 years. Last year the royalty was £25 million, implying about a further £850 million over the next 34 years, potentially more if sales grow.