Private Equity
Weather Watch: "Life-threatening" snow storm on its way to Chicago and New York could get hit again. Officially a Bubble: Angels and founders respond to Yuri Milner, of DST, and Ron Conway offering all Y Combinator startups $150K in a convertible note. Leaving: Bill Hambrecht steps down from AOL's board. Deadly Viewing: Watching the Super Bowl may trigger a heart attack. Easy Credit: Big companies have easier time borrowing money but banks still make it super tough for small businesses and consumers. Eye of the Tiger: Vote for the top 10 greatest startup anthems at the Investor Pitch Clinic.
1 min read · 31 January 2011
Record Setting: Nielsen Holdings is the largest PE backed IPO ever to launch in the U.S. But globally it's only the 12th biggest. In The Dark: Egypt successfully cuts off access to the Internet. And, Sen. Joe Lieberman wants the same option here in the U.s. On the Block: Madoff lawsuit causes New York Mets to seek one or more strategic partners. Raising Money: KKR sweetens terms for its new mega fund. Be Nice: To peers, clients and customers because they'll make good references.
1 min read · 28 January 2011
Concero Coming: Microsoft is building a new management tool that allows customers to oversee both on-premises and cloud-based services. Drop That Fifth Martini: Binge drinking more common among wealthier Americans. Apple: Would you take $1 billion to run the biggest tech company in the world? Rookie Mistake: State cuts bond offering after NJ Governor Chris Christie's says healthcare costs will bankrupt the state. Merger Block: Justice Department is considering blocking Google's $700 mln buy of ITA Software. No More Burnt Taste: Starbucks plans to work with Tata coffee to buy coffee beans from India.
1 min read · 13 January 2011
iPhone News: Confirmed! Personal hotspot feature is coming to all iPhones in iOS 4.3. Who Needs $50 Bln: Insiders say Facebook's goal is to be the first TRILLION dollar company. IB Cuts: Barclays Capital plans to layoff 2.4%, or about 600, of its global staff, according to FINS. Forgotten: News Corp. is considering a possible sale or spinoff of Myspace. Gotham Good For VC: Jim Breyer, an Accel partner, says New York's tech scene is picking up.
1 min read · 12 January 2011
Tasty Memories: Sbarro has hired restructuring lawyers and a financial advisers to help it chew through its debt load. Hiring: Ford plans to add 7,000 to help make electric, hybrid cars. Cuts: The long-rumored Myspace layoffs are expected to come Tuesday. Buying the Bunny: Hugh Hefner plans to take Playboy private. Launching: Steve Jobs expected to join Murdoch to unveil iPad paper, The Daily, this month.
1 min read · 10 January 2011
iPhone News: Will the long-awaited Verizon iPhone be unveiled Tuesday? More Than Just tablets: The coolest gadgets at CES. Danger: Security researcher says he can hack into WiFi networks using specialized software that he has written that runs on Amazon's cloud. Departure: One year after BlackRock buys Barclays Global Investors for $15 billion, Blake Grossman, BGI's CEO, is leaving. Nearly Free: Mark Kvamme, a partner at Sequoia Capital, was picked to head Ohio jobs program for just $1 a year.
1 min read · 07 January 2011
Saying No: Apple approached Blackstone CFO Laurence Tosi to be their CFO but he rejected them. Finally: Apple's Mac app store is open for business and it lets you download apps using your iTunes account. Breaking Up: Sara Lee will decide later this month whether to sell or break up the company. FB News: Facebook will disclose financials or go public by April 2012. And, Goldman customer's get Facebook financials. No Longer: Tiger Woods won't be writing that column for Golf Digest anymore.
1 min read · 06 January 2011
Unveiled: Cisco launches Videoscape, its master plan for video. Leaving: Volcker plans to step down as head of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Revamp: Starbucks unveils a new logo and drops the words around its sea nymph. But does anyone remember what happened to Gap's logo revamp? FB News of the Day: Facebook plans to stop soliciting interest from potential investors on Thursday due to strong demand. The SEC launches an inquiry and Fox Business News' Charles Gasparino tweets that the deal has a 50/50 chance of getting nixed.
1 min read · 05 January 2011
Not Much Time: Goldman's clients are only getting a week to decide whether they want to invest in Facebook. Plus, why Facebook won't go public, from Felix Salmon. Snow Probe: Prosecutors are investigating the delay in removing snow from New York City street's last month. Big Bond Deal: GE sells $6 billion of debt in biggest bond sale since February. How Much for Freescale: The capricious value of PE investments or what is this company really worth?
1 min read · 04 January 2011
Going Biblical: What made thousands of birds fall from the sky? A Letter to the SEC's Mary Shapiro: Goldman's $450 million investment in Facebook appears to be mocking the regulator, from John Cassidy. And Facebook will have $2 billion in cash to play with. On the Block: MySpace is on track to sell itself by mid-year, according to CNBC, while Reuters says there are no talks going on now. Recovered: Microsoft resolves a glitch and presto! all those lost Hotmail messages are restored. Bosses Do Wacky Things: Ten things your boss won't tell you. Like he/she knows what you've typed on that IM.
1 min read · 03 January 2011
