Kai Beckmann

Money Moves

Leading Merck KGaA's rare-disease expansion

Merck KGaA agreed on October 19 to buy Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion in cash, paying $20 per American Depositary Share. That is 130% above Silence's closing price on October 16.

Updated Oct 20

Money Moves

As of June 2026: Leading his first major acquisition since taking the top job in September 2025

Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, agreed to buy Bio-Techne, a Minneapolis company that makes the reagents, proteins, and imaging tools researchers use at the lab bench. The price is $73 a share in cash, about $11.3 billion, a 36% premium over the recent trading average.

Updated Jun 25