Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390) ("Zhihu" or the "Company"), a leading online content community in China, today announced the results of the Company's all cash tender offers (the "Offers") to buy back up to 46,921,448 Class A ordinary shares of the Company (including in the form of American depositary shares (the "ADSs")). The Offers, including the U.S. Offer, expired at 4:00 a.m., New York City time, or 4:00 p.m., Hong Kong time, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 (the "Latest Acceptance Time"). The Company has been advised by Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, LLC, the tender agent, and Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, the registrar, that 33,016,016 Class A ordinary shares (including 19,877,118 Class A ordinary shares in the form of 6,625,706 ADSs) were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn as of the Latest Acceptance Time. The Company has accepted all these Class A ordinary shares (including in the form of ADSs) to be bought back and cancelled by the Company on completion of the Offers, which is expected to take place on or before Friday, November 8, 2024. The total consideration payable by the Company for buying back the said Class A ordinary shares (including in the form of ADSs) pursuant to the Offers is HK$300,775,906. The Company will promptly forward cash in payment of the total consideration to the paying agent and registrar for distribution to the accepting shareholders and the accepting ADS holders.
Following the settlement of the Offers, there will be 261,860,348 shares issued and outstanding, which will comprise 246,413,570 Class A ordinary shares (including 126,582,633 Class A ordinary shares in the form of 42,194,211 ADSs) and 15,446,778 Class B ordinary shares, excluding the Class A ordinary shares issued to the depositary of the Company for bulk issuance of ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our stock incentive plans.