Write-Offs: 05.06.08

Posted by Bess Levin, May 06, 2008, 5:16pm

$$$ UBS quits the US muni business [FTAlphaville]

$$$ Investment banker still needs a secretary [craigslist]

$$$ Anal_yst goes shopping [1-2]

$$$ How Not to Make a Deal [NYT]

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Comments

Posted by guest, May 06, 2008 6:03PM

Funny to see Sorkin criticize Microsoft/Yahoo when he's never worked on a single deal in his entire life. What a douche.

Posted by Lowly Assistant, May 06, 2008 6:07PM

What's with this industry and trannies?

Posted by guest, May 06, 2008 8:04PM

sorkin doesn't need experience to know a few extra bucks wouldn't kill the economics of the deal. even a NYT reporter knows that $1 extra would have sealed it. too bad ballmer is so much dumber than a journno.

Posted by guest, May 06, 2008 10:22PM

Dude Ballmer doesn't need Yahoo. Though those two shit companies deserve each other. He's doing the right thing to walk away and let yahoo sweat for a minute. What other options does Yahoo have, try to glom on to AOL or myspace? What a joke.

Posted by guest, May 06, 2008 11:59PM

I intensely dislike Andrew Ross Sorkin's reporting, but his analyis of the failure of the Microsoft/Yahoo deal makes some sense. Yang was stubborn and indifferent to the pay-off; Ballmer waited too long to sweeten the deal and didn't follow through on his threats. The Times did run the most unflattering photo of Ballmer I've ever seen.

Posted by guest, May 07, 2008 12:11AM

Two comments re Anal_yst's trip to the mall:

(1) If you want a good parking space at the mall, go at 4:45 p.m., before the stores close but after most wives and mothers have headed home to make dinner.

(2) Nobody's shopped at the Gap for a long time now. Their clothing line is very tired. You're a little out of the loop on noticing this.

Posted by guest, May 07, 2008 2:10AM

@11:59

No one in valley willing teams up with the beastmaster. We're talking about entrepreneurs here who pursue a singular vision with a passion. Their companies are their own private fiefdoms, they're engineers not bankers and fiduciary obligations and share holder value are concepts with which they're not familiar. That's why you have such great booms and busts. Apple computer has made its investors millionaires and paupers many times over. Logic would have dictated that they fold up their tent back in the 90's as micheal dell pointed out.. now apple is worth four dells.

Unfortunately for Yahoo even in their inception they were a poor man's google. a hand compiled directory of the interest versus a highly advanced algorithm.

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