Merger Arbs Wager $10 Billion on Chevron-Hess Beating Exxon Case

Merger-arbitrage funds’ biggest wager of the year faces a crucial test in the coming days, as a private arbitration panel begins hearing Exxon Mobil Corp.’s challenge to Chevron Corp.’s $53 billion takeover of Hess Corp.

The dispute — centered on Exxon’s claim to Hess’s stake in a prolific oil field off the coast of Guyana — has been a major overhang on the deal since it was announced in 2023. Now, after over a year of claims and counterclaims, the saga appears to be nearing a conclusion.

On Monday, the International Chamber of Commerce kicks off a multiple-day, closed-door hearing ...