in the late 1980s, southland corporation was threatened by a rumored corporate takeover, prompting the thompson family to take steps to turn the company into a private model by buying out public shareholders in a tender offer. in december 1987, john philp thompson, the chairman and ceo of 7-eleven, completed a $5.2 billion management buyout of the company. the buyout suffered from the effects of the 1987 stock market crash and after failing initially to raise high yield debt financing, the company was required to offer a portion of stock as a motive to invest in the company's bonds.