T-Mobile and Sprint reached a merger agreement. Sprint chief Marcelo Claure once called T-Mobile CEO John Legere a « con artist » and said its Uncarrier marketing scheme was « bullsh**t. » Legere has accused Claure of ripping off T-Mobile and once told him to « go back to the kiddie pool. »
CEOs John Legere of T-Mobile and Marcelo Claure of Sprint were chummy in a video announcing the merger of their companies on Sunday.
But over the years, the two have been sparing partners. They run companies that have waged a fierce war for customers over pricing and features.
Claure once called Legere a » con artist » and said T-Mobile’s Uncarrier marketing scheme was » bullsh**t . »
Legere accused Claure of ripping off T-Mobile and told him to » go back to the kiddie pool . »
If anything can end a competitive feud, however, it’s a $26 billion merger agreement.
The deal would leave just three major wireless carriers in the United States, positioning the combined company as a stronger rival to Verizon and AT&T.
Legere would become the head of the combined company, still named T-Mobile, if the deal passes regulatory scrutiny. The 59-year-old took over at T-Mobile in 2012. He’s known for flashy marketing campaigns and a constant social media presence. While no stranger to controversy, the company has thrived under his leadership.
Claure, 49, previously co-founded the mobile distribution company Brightstar. He would serve on the merged T-Mobile’s board.
Legere has been known to level profanity-laced attacks at Verizon and AT&T as well. He dove right in Sunday by referring to the companies in a tweet as » Dumb & Dumber. »
And Legere doesn’t just target his competitors. In 2015, he sparred with President Donald Trump, who had tweeted that « T-Mobile service is terrible! »
« Why can’t you do something to improve it for your customers. I don’t want it in my buildings, » Trump tweeted. At the time he had not officially entered the presidential race.
Legere lobbed back: « I will serve all customers in the USA openly but I will obviously leave your hotel right away based on this. #checkingout, » he tweeted.
Legere, who will need the government to approve the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, said in 2016 that his spat with Trump was water under the bridge.
« Congrats to the new POTUS, @realDonaldTrump. Let’s see what an out of the box, non-typical, non-politician can do for America! » he wrote after election night.
