(Bloomberg) — JetBlue Airways Corp. investor Vladimir Galkin, a Florida entrepreneur, has increased his stake in the carrier to 9.98% and says he’s met with top executives to discuss a possible board seat.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Galkin has been steadily building up a stake in JetBlue this year, and is now the airline’s third-largest investor, behind BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc.

Galkin said in an interview that he met with JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer Joanna Geraghty and Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley earlier this week.

“I have not decided whether I want to become a director,” he said. “Any consideration would, of course, require further discussions with the board and adhering to their nominating process.”

Galkin said he “expressed my interest in monitoring my significant investment as a director at some point” during the discussions. Geraghty didn’t make a commitment “either way,” and encouraged him to speak with the board’s nominating committee as required by the company’s bylaws, Galkin said.

In a statement, JetBlue said it “regularly speaks with shareholders and investors to listen to their views on the company’s strategy and progress.” A spokesman declined to comment on discussions with individual shareholders.

The airline is in the midst of a turnaround effort after federal judges blocked a planned acquisition and a partnership with another carrier, limiting its growth prospects. Geraghty has detailed plans to pull out of some cities and delay $3 billion in new aircraft purchases to help control persistently high costs. The airline will shift its focus back to leisure customers in its original strongholds of New York, New England, Florida and Puerto Rico.

“I was really impressed with Joanna and her team and their progress to date,” said Galkin, who cofounded and owns a majority stake in HUBX, an online global marketplace for wholesale electronics.

Galkin, who cashed in on GameStop Corp. during the meme stock craze, reiterated in the interview that he will hold his JetBlue investment to below 10%. Reaching a 10% stake triggers additional disclosure requirements and would allow him to call for a special shareholder meeting. He would also be considered an insider.

Activist investor Carl Icahn, who took a stake in JetBlue of nearly 10% earlier this year, subsequently secured two board seats.

Story continues

Galkin has had, and intends to continue to have, discussions with JetBlue executives and board members “regarding the possibility of board representation,” according a regulatory filing Thursday. He may communicate with the board, management or other investors about operational, strategic, financial or governance matters, it said.

Shares of the company rose 1.3% in postmarket trading as of 6:02 p.m. Thursday in New York. The stock is down nearly 3% this year.

–With assistance from Crystal Tse.

(Adds JetBlue comment in sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen’s $9.1 million purchase last year of a 7.5-acre estate in Southwest Ranches, the Florida equestrian hotspot about 30 miles from Miami, now seems prescient.

There, a new construction home has hit the market for $24 million — and it’s poised to break area records if it sells at, or even near, that price.

The modern residence, at 17250 SW 52nd Court, is an extravagant 25,609 square feet. It features seven bedrooms and sits on 4 acres. Built in 2022 and move-in ready last year, the home is at the end of a cul-de-sac and bordered by the 172nd Avenue canal.

Its crown jewel is a 19,000-square-foot finished rooftop space for entertaining — and displaying art.

The dwelling’s design includes 187 impact-resistant glass window panels and doors framed in silver aluminum. It comes with a motorized aluminum gate, security, and an infinity-loop driveway lined with green turf and palms.

Other chic touches include floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a wine display room that holds up to 264 bottles. Some areas even include double- and triple-height ceilings, such as the main entrance, which is more than 25 feet high. There are also two kitchens, home offices, a gym, indoor and outdoor pools — and two separate four-car garages.

Three steel staircases lead to the gym, bedrooms and the roof.

Outside, along with the infinity-edged pool and a kids’ pool on a 6,722-square-foot tiled deck, are landscaped gardens and tall aged trees. 

The seller, Javier Muniain, president and CEO of Surfernet Corp., is relocating to Europe. 

The listing broker is Kimberly Knausz of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. 

Florida remained a very retirement-friendly state in 2024, with five locales in the Sunshine State appearing among WalletHub’s ten best retirement cities.

Orlando, which is located in central Florida, nabbed the overall first-place title on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Retire” ranking this year.

The personal finance website indicated factors like its activity options and elder health care helped Orlando earn the title of best city to retire. Florida’s tax policies also played a major part, according to WalletHub.

The city’s total score was 61.49.

THE NUMBER OF 401(K) MILLIONAIRES HIT A NEW RECORD HIGH

This year, five other states had representation in the top 10 in addition to dominant Florida.

The list included a total of 182 U.S. cities. To determine the overall position of the cities on the list, WalletHub said it relied on several dozen metrics within the categories of affordability, activities, quality of life and health care.

According to WalletHub, 2024’s ten locales most favorable for retirees included: 

1. Orlando, Florida

2. Miami, Florida

MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 29: In an aerial view, the City of Miami skyline, where many renters reside in the apartment buildings on September 29, 2021 in Miami, Florida. According to an analysis from Realtor.com, rents nationwide are rising, with th ( Joe Raedle/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

3. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Aerial View of Minneapolis and the Mississippi river in summer (iStock / iStock)

4. Tampa, Florida

Aerial drone View of sprawling Tampa Bay Skyline, Florida. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

5. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale Coastline Aerial (Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

6. Scottsdale, Arizona

Downtown Scottsdale and suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, with the White Tank Mountain Range in the background (iStock / iStock)

7. Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati has seen a 125% increase in vacation rental demand, according to Vrbo’s report. (iStock) (iStock)

8. St. Petersburg, Florida

Sunrise on St. Petersburg Florida facing Atlantic Ocean explodes into orange color. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

9. Casper, Wyoming

CASPER, WY – JUNE 11, 2022: The last rays of sunlight fall on local favorite Jonny Js Diner on June 11, 2022 in Casper, Wyoming. Wyoming is a Republican stronghold and Liz Cheney (R-WY) is facing an uphill battle to retain her seat in Congress after (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

10. Atlanta, Georgia

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia, metropolitan area was found to be the best cold-weather winter vacation destination this year, according to WalletHub. Atlanta is pictured. (iStock / iStock)

“It’s important to choose wisely when picking where to retire, as many retirees are on a fixed income,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so. In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees.”

AMERICANS REVEAL THEIR BIGGEST FINANCIAL REGRET ABOUT POTENTIAL RETIREMENT

Of the top 10 best retirement cities, Miami received the highest rank for the main activities category, at No. 2. 

Two of the other top-10 cities landed No. 3 placements for different main categories that WalletHub looked at to help formulate its list. Scottsdale came in third-place for quality of life. Meanwhile, Casper received that ranking for affordability, the personal finance website found.

MORE AMERICANS ARE THINKING ABOUT POSTPONING RETIREMENT

WalletHub’s best cities to retire comes after the personal finance website identified Florida, Colorado, Virginia, Delaware and Wyoming as top states for retirement earlier in the year.

In April, Northwestern Mutual found Americans think they must have $1.46 million set aside in order to “comfortably” retire. That was up 15% from the prior year.