NEW YORK — Chesapeake Energy chief executive Aubrey McClendon said Monday he’d welcome activist investor Carl Icahn as a shareholder.
Icahn, who reportedly is buying a substantial stake in the beleaguered natural-gas producer, has a reputation for aggressively calling for changes.
But McClendon hinted that no shake-up was afoot in a conference call Monday to discuss a $3 billion loan from Goldman Sachs.
Chesapeake investors, who’ve seen the value of their shares decline by about 38 percent since late March, cheered the possibility of having Icahn on their side. Shares rose more than 4 percent.
McClendon noted Icahn briefly invested in 2010 with good results.
“He made over $500 million and called to thank me when it was over,” McClendon said. “If he comes in (again), I’m pretty confident he’ll make a lot of money.”
Icahn didn’t return a call for comment.
