Private Equity
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Microsoft unveiled its biggest acquisition ever this week, agreeing to buy Skype for $8.5 billion. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the deal. Some have criticized it because of Skype's lackluster financials. The Internet phone service provider is losing money. It recorded a net loss of $7 million last year on revenue of $860 million, despite the fact that its user base grew nearly 40% to 145 million, according to Thomson Reuters. Skype's IPO has also lagged in registration since August. The sale to MSFT is about double the expected value of Skype if it had gone ahead with the IPO. Skype's investors have been chortling about how much they will gain on the sale. The company's owners, led by Silver Lake, are expected to make more than 3x their investment.
1 min read · 11 May 2011
Backlash: How Groupon royally screws European businesses. Earnings: Cisco's Q3 profit drops 18%. And, the company preps for layoffs. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty: Raj Rajaratnam, head of the Galleon Group, was found guilty today. Would you work for him or someone just as famous? Also, Dealbreaker wants to know who will star in the movie. The other Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook shuts down the personal account for an Indiana bankruptcy attorney with same name as the FB founder. Selling to PE: Why is it so hard for business owners to find an exit? As Expected: Newt Gingrich announces presidential campaign. After OBL: It's been over a week since Bin Laden passed away and Pakistanis are restless. Farhana Qazi wants to know why there is no revolt. Finally: Acer and Samsung set to launch notebooks using Google Chrome OS on June 15.
1 min read · 11 May 2011
Shaking Things Up: Marc Andreessen has been on the prowl for companies to buy. Going Public, Finally: Groupon pushed for an IPO filing this week, with or without its bankers. Exodus: Are women fleeing finance because of their male coworkers. Aftermath: Now that it is set to become part of Microsoft, is this the end of Skype as we know it? And, the Skype sale makes Goldman the top financial advisor of tech deals. Charity Lunch: Do you want to eat a Dairy Queen sundae with Warren Buffett? eBay will accept bids for Buffett's annual lunch from June 5 to June 10. And, Buffett's gonna be on "The Office" finale!
1 min read · 10 May 2011
Deal or Maybe Not? Zynga acquires 13th new company---er, it hires two guys. Aftermath: Here's Japan two months after the earthquake and Tsunami. Drive By, Again: Hertz has plenty to gain from its low ball bid for Dollar Thrifty. How Apple Works: Here's a look inside the world's biggest startup. And Fortune won't let you read all of this story online but you can buy it off of Amazon. We're Not Sorry: Obama administration won't apologize to Pakistan for surprise attack on Bin Laden.
1 min read · 09 May 2011
Warner Music: Access may have won it for now. The Gores brother are considering sweetening their offer. Warren Buffett: Berkshire Hathaway reports a smaller profit, mostly due to Japan. Jobs Report: Employment goes up. And BreakvingViews says the recovery looks less temporary. No Tracking: Legislation in House would prevent companies from tracking kids on the Internet. Beer Deal: Heineken is considering making an offer for Brazil's Schincariol. Bin Laden: There aren't any photos but Al-Qaeda confirm he's dead and vows revenge. Also, OBL closely managed Al-Qaeda from his hideout. Sony: Company apologizes but hacker group is now planning a third attack. OWN Not So Good: The Oprah Winfrey Network ousts its CEO after ratings come in low.
1 min read · 06 May 2011
Super Sized: Bain, Carlyle and Thommy Lee have doubled their money with Dunkin' Donuts, according to Breakingviews. Poached: Marissa Campise, who was just promoted at Greycroft Partners, is joining Venrock. Attack: Hacker left taunting messages for Sony but they still don't know who stole users' personal info. And, Anonymous denies stealing the sensitive info. Nesting: Mark Zuckerberg buys a house in Palo Alto. But is there a yard for Beast?
1 min read · 05 May 2011
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Dunkin' Brands filed for a $400 million IPO yesterday, but somehow that news -- or any business news -- just doesn't seem that important. The death of Osama bin Laden has dominated headlines all week. U.S. Navy Seals killed bin Laden last weekend in an attack that would make Jack Bauer proud. Since then, OBL's demise has dominated the news. Today we've learned that the White House will not be releasing pictures of Bin Laden's corpse and that OBL wasn't armed when he was killed. U.S. intelligence sources have known for years that bin Laden wasn't living in a cave but in a comfortable villa in Abbottabad, Pakistan. OBL's wife, who was with him in the Abbottabad compound, tried to save him and was shot.
1 min read · 05 May 2011
Bin Laden: White House won't release OBL pictures. But here are some images from the Abbottabad compound after the attack. And here's the famous Obama situation room photo. Just Because: What would Jack Bauer have thought of the Bin Laden raid? Raj Rajaratnam Update: Juror gets sacked and deliberations begin anew. Apple: There will be no iPhone 5 in June/July. Renren Aftermath: Breakingviews says Goldman got their Facebook shares for a steal.
1 min read · 04 May 2011
What's Going On? AOL loses another news exec and why the exodus is causing some to worry. Busted: South Korean police raid Google's local office for allegedly collecting private location data. You Can Beat It: Theodore Forstmann, who co-founded Forstmann Little, has malignant brain cancer. We are sending you good vibes! Savvis Sold: Which cloud companies are likely to go up for sale next? Getting Crowded: World population to pass 7 billion by Oct. 31, UN says. Bin Laden Aftermath: Doubters wonder why no pictures or video of the raid has been released. And, is it legal for the U.S. to release pictures of OBL? Also, Navy Seals remain secret heroes in their hometown. Promotions: JP Morgan names 132 investment bankers to MD. Youngest in History: Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is the NBA’s MVP. Boob tube: For the first time in twenty years, the number of American households with a TV fell.
1 min read · 03 May 2011
Not Giving Up: Nasdaq, ICE go hostile for NYSE Euronext. Voldemort: The eerie links between Harry Potter and Osama Bin Laden. And, how one IT consultant tweeted the Osama Bin Laden raid As Easy as the TV Guide Crossword: Here's the 56 best/worst analogies from high school students. Male Angst: Dan Mulhern writes a letter to his son on how to be a real man. Athlete's Foot? Raj Rajaratnam has emergency foot surgery and doesn't show up in court. About Time: Apple to fix location tracking bug in its iPhone and iOS devices in next few weeks. One More Time: Sony again suffers another major security breach. And, Sony has temporarily shut down its online game unit. Brendan Baker: How to hustle with AngelList in 10 steps. Deal: Another report says that Twitter is buying TweetDeck for about $40 to $50 mln.
1 min read · 02 May 2011
