A Vail Resorts investor made waves in the ski industry this week when he published a scathing report on the company as a business and called for the resignation of CEO Kirsten Lynch and former CEO Rob Katz, now the chair of the board for the ski resort giant.
But not much is known about the investor, Taylor Schmidt, and his company, Late Apex Partners, or how much of a stake the company has in Vail Resorts, though Schmidt said the ski company makes up his company’s largest single investment.
Analysts who cover the company and would speak to a reporter off the record said they were unable to get any additional comment from Schmidt, and Vail Resorts said it was the first communication the company had received from him.
The Vail Daily was able to obtain a statement from Schmidt, who said that since sending out the letter, he has been dismissed as a small-time investor even though he has more equity in the company “than quite a few board members,” describing his effort as David vs. Goliath.
“The report’s merit should stand on its own regardless of who wrote it,” Schmidt said. “Either the ideas are right or wrong. That is up to the customer/employee to decide.”
Read more: “Vail Resorts shareholder speaks out after penning scathing letter”