https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/14/what-hostile-takeovers-are-and-why-theyre-usually-doomed/

Thanks to the machinations of a certain billionaire, the phrase “hostile takeover” has been liberally bandied about the media sphere recently. But while it long ago entered the mainstream lexicon, “hostile takeover” carries with it an air of vagueness — and legalese opacity.

At a high level, a hostile takeover occurs when a company — or a person — attempts to take over another company against the wishes of the target company’s management. That’s the “hostile” aspect of a hostile takeover — merging with or acquiring a company without the consent of that company’s board of directors.