Private Equity
Doomsday: Why the world will end on May 21 (anyone want to have lunch on May 22?) Trouble @Twitter: The company is stuck in neutral but rejected a $2 bln offer from Facebook and a $10 bln deal from Google. And, here's Felix Salmon's take. True or Not? Apple is expected to start selling the long rumored white iPhone by the end of April. Confirmed: Flipboard gets $50 million in funding at a $200 mln valuation. Surprising: Nearly half said they would turn down a "dream" job offer if they had to go to strip clubs to entertain clients or needed to drink heavily.
1 min read · 14 April 2011
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Mark Zuckerberg this week prevailed in a suit brought by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, but another lawsuit against the Facebook founder gained new life. Earlier this week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Winklevoss twins can't undo a settlement with Facebook. The twins had sued Zuckerberg, claiming he stole their idea for Facebook after they brought him on as a developer for a Harvard social network. The twins agreed to settle the case for $65 million in cash and stock, but they later went back to court, saying the settlement was unfair because Facebook hid information from them about the company's true value. (Facebook is currently valued at more than $50 billion on secondary market exchanges.) The high court said the twins were outsmarted fair-and-square and should just accept the deal.
2 min read · 14 April 2011
No Deals: Dynegy, whose shareholders have rejected two deals, has hired Lazard and White & Case as it tries to avoid bankruptcy. A Plan: President Obama plans to cut $4 trillion from the deficit over the next 12 years. Ceglia vs. Zuckerberg: Now we have the Taiwanese animation of the FB saga. Steroid Rush: The jury has reached a verdict in the Barry Bonds's trial. RIP: Sidney Harman, the audio pioneer who bought Newsweek for $1, has passed away. So GE Still Won't Pay Taxes? Protest group, Uncut, takes credit for hilarious spoof GE announcement today.
1 min read · 13 April 2011
Tablets: Intel is launching a new set of chips as it tries to break ARM's domination of the tablet market. Contrarian: Peter Thiel says the next bubble isn't the Internet but in higher education. Early 2012: Walter Isaacson snags the gig to write Steve Jobs authorized biography. Saying the Obvious: Soros says moral hazards looms more than ever in the financial system despite Dodd Frank bill. Rich and Tasty: Crumbs, the $66 million cupcake empire.
1 min read · 11 April 2011
Turning Off the Lights: The government shutdown nears and the finger pointing begins. Also, what happened during the last shutdown and how it affected then President Clinton. A Win: Google gets regulatory approval for its $700 million buy of ITA. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg lands on the cover of Mad Magazine. Apple: Steve Wozniak would consider rejoining the computer electronics giant. A Demotion? Google names new top executives and Marissa Mayer is bypassed as head of local and commerce. So Long: Manny Ramirez retires after testing positive. Private Co. Shares: Fred Wilson calls on SEC to relax the rules and more easily allow the general public to invest in privately held companies.
1 min read · 08 April 2011
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Venture capital fundraising revived in the first quarter. A total of 38 U.S.-based VC funds raised more than $6.6 billion in Q1, up from 35 funds that raised just under $3 billion in the prior quarter, according to preliminary data from Thomson Reuters. The $6.6 billion is the largest amount raised by VCs since Q3 2008.
1 min read · 07 April 2011
Hoops to Deal Maker: LeBron James takes a stake in soccer club Liverpool. Living Room: Google plans to revamp YouTube into channels and plans to spend $100 million. Spring Cleaning: What Cisco Systems might or won't cut. Midas Touch: Forbes is out with its top tech investors of 2011. Movie Fight: Dish triumphs for Blockbuster but does this mean a fight with Netflix looms?
1 min read · 06 April 2011
What's the most Difficult CEO Skill? Managing your own psychology, says Ben Horowitz. Looking for $$: Russia introduces new government backed fund that it hopes will attract PE investors. Anonymous: Hackers target Sony web sites and its top executives. A Deal: Carl Icahn looks like the lead horse to win Blockbuster. On the Block: 11 stages of selling a company, from AxialMarket. Moving Up: Gen. Petraeus is a serious contender to be CIA director, according to NPR. When NOT to Go to the Bank: Robberies tend to occur from 9 - 11 am and on Fridays, according to the FBI.
1 min read · 05 April 2011
Winning: Charlie Sheen gets tapped to be inaugural director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Making You Smile: Google's April fool's hoaxes through the years. NYSE Bid: Nasdaq and ICE make offer for Big Board but few traders support it. Battle Lines: Angel investors counter Y combinator start fund with $100 mln early stage "end fund." Fake News: The Onion chooses April Fool's to launch its iPad app. Too Many White Men: Goldman won't be able to grow unless it attracts more LBGT talent, according to FINS.
1 min read · 01 April 2011
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Earlier this week, my colleague Jonathan Marino broke the story that SecondMarket is considering launching a platform to let private companies bypass VC firms and sell shares directly to individual investors. Clearly, there is strong demand for stock in hot private companies -- such as Facebook, Groupon and Zynga. These brand name companies have seen their valuations rise significantly as their shares have changed hands on secondary exchanges such as SecondMarket and SharesPost.
1 min read · 31 March 2011
