Private Equity
WikiLeaks: Apple removes app for whistleblowing site from its store. Going Shopping: Rebuffed by Groupon, Google is now talking to Groupon's much smaller rivals. Downgrade: Moody's warns it may cut Portugal's rating. Making Lemonade: What's BP to do with all the plastic boom it used to sop up the spilled oil? Stick it under the hood of new Chevy Volts. Looking for Change: Five things to consider before joining a startup. Don't Believe the Whining: It was a very good year for Wall Street, according to David Weidner.
1 min read · 21 December 2010
Where to Get a Tech Job: Seattle is strongest while New York is the biggest market, according to FINS. Scoops: How Bloomberg gets earning releases before everyone else. Tax Cut Deal Goes to Obama: Now, 51 million will take home less. This Morning: U.S. stock futures ease on a multi-notch downgrade of Ireland's debt. LeBron Aftermath: Why we should all hate Miami (just a little spoiled, no?). Deal: PE firms in talks to buy Blackwater, the private security firm. Thawing Debt Markets: Blackstone restructures about $7 bln in debt tied to its mammoth $39 billion buy of Sam Zell's Equities Office Properties Trust from 2007.
1 min read · 17 December 2010
More FB News: Facebook to generate about $2 billion in sales this year, faster than originally thought. Going to the Supremes: DOJ likely to appeal judge's decision that invalidates key provision of Obamacare. Wikileaks: Fidel Castro nearly died in 2006. Not Up For sale: Aeropostale hires Barclays to fend off takeover offers from PE firm. Another Success: How Cityville became Zynga's fastest growing game in history. Deals: AOL buys Pictela. And, YouTube in talks to acquire Next New Networks. Good Advice: Exercising before breakfast lessens the effects of holiday pigouts.
1 min read · 16 December 2010
It's A Miracle: HIV+ man who received stem cell treatment in 2007 is believed to be cured. Going Public Again: Freescale CEO says to expect their IPO next year. Surprise: Mark Zuckerberg named Time magazine's person of the year. And, survey finds that Facebook is the best place to work. Blackstone's Loss: Icahn Enterprises inks $665 mln deal for Dynegy after shareholders reject Blackstone's offer. Ten-Hut: Using these five military tactics can help you get ahead in the office. Not Enough: Strengthening U.S. economy likely won't stop Fed's $600 billion stimulus plans. Deals: Don't buy that Internet company, says Felix Salmon.
1 min read · 15 December 2010
Compromised: Gawker is hacked. Mediaite finds out why the site was attacked and the method used by "Gnosis." No End: Japan bonds signals eight more years of deflation. Ponzi Scheming: Mark Madoff's suicide won't stop all the lawsuits. News Flash: Carlyle CFO quits and this could further delay their IPO. Present and Future: What looks great today may suck tomorrow, from Fred Wilson. Chapter 11: A&P files for bankruptcy protection and the move could transfer control to Ron Burkle. No Bonus: More than 70% Americans think firms that took a bailout should ban big bonuses.
1 min read · 13 December 2010
Big Freeze: Beware the urban avalanches in Edinburgh. Apollo Speaks: How to avoid turning your startup into a dysfunctional family. Giving Pledge: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and AOL cofounder Steve Case join other tycoons who have pledged to give away most of their fortunes. $65 Mln Isn't Enough: The Winklevoss twins file another lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg. Wikileaks Retaliation: Facebook and Twitter suspend Operation: Payback accounts. And, why the whistle blowing site will never be closed or blocked. Not So Great: Warren Buffett's worst investments in 2011.
1 min read · 09 December 2010
Expansion: Insider trading probe on Wall Street expands with more than one dozen subpoenas sent to hedge funds and other investment firms. Wikileaks: An anonymous group is bringing down web sites that have removed Wikileaks. The current target? Mastercard, which is down. 30 Years Ago Today: Where we were when John Lennon was killed. Too late: Those laptops powered by Google's chrome operating system? Don't expect them until after the holidays. Economy: Bonds around the world drop while the dollar strengthens on belief U.S. tax cut-accord will spur economic growth. Meanwhile, Iceland lowers rates as economy stabilizes. Operation Ivy League: Drug bust nails five Columbia students who allegedly sold drugs out of a fraternity house and dorms. Revealed: TechCrunch get's a peek at Google's latest social foray or "Google +1."
1 min read · 08 December 2010
It's Coming: Foxconn to ship iPad 2 by the end of February 2011. Malware Hits Record: More than 95 bln phishing emails will be sent this year. Becoming Legendary: 23 things you can learn from Michael Jordan about entrepreneurship. Deal Watch: TD Bank in talks to buy Chrysler Financial from Cerberus. Tax Deal: Package, which would extend Bush era income tax cuts for two years, is reached. And, Felix Salmon says the "Oprah-style" tax cuts will do little from a fiscal perspective. Get Serious: Why a day of Tumblr downtime matters to the entire web and world (so stop making fun of it).
1 min read · 07 December 2010
TV Review: Mark Zucerkberg rocked on 60 Minutes, according to the Business Insider. Meanwhile, others think the young CEO scammed 60 Minutes. FB Redesign: Joe Hobot's new Facebook profile. And, what do you think of the new FB design, from Mashable. Finally A Verdict: French court finds Continental Airlines and one of its mechanics guilty a decade after a Concorde jet crashed outside of Paris killing 113 people. Going Public: Carlyle, the politically connected PE firm, is set to file for an IPO partly because investors are wary of buyout funds. Through the Door: Recommendation letters using words like "nurturing" and "helpful" can nuke your job application while adjectives such as "ambitious" and "independent" actually help. Groupon Dish: Eric Lefkofksy is on track to be a billionaire--later.
1 min read · 06 December 2010
Every day, it seems there's a tech company being sold or rumored to be on the block. With so many deals, I thought I should reach out to someone with deep background in the sector. Ron Pillar joined i-bank Sagent Advisors on Wednesday as an MD in the tech group. Before Sagent, Pillar was at Ladenburg Thalmann where he was vice chairman and co-head of investment banking. Prior to that, he spent nine years at J.P. Morgan where he was head of technology investment banking. It was at J.P. Morgan that Pillar headed up the advisory team in the 2006 merger of Lucent Technologies and Alcatel of France. He also directed the $700 million IPO of Neustar as well as the $8 billion spin-off of Teradata from NCR Corp.
3 min read · 02 December 2010
