It used to be that the Microsoft-Yahoo clash seemed, at its root, a “personality conflict.” Yang and Ballmer’s war of words was, at one point, so pointed that Ballmer was said unable to consider an acquisition of any kind while Yang was still leading the firm. Or, that was the press version, anyhow. Around this time Microsoft spent a period in that Texas Hold’em sort of intentions limbo. When strong, attempt to appear weak, when weak, attempt to appear strong. Ballmer didn’t want to advertise the degree to which he lusted after Yahoo. Nor did anyone at Microsoft want to admit that the firm was (is) dangerously close to obsolescence and irrelevance in the face of Googlesque economies (though various classes of writers literally fell over each other to point this out). So, what exactly are we to make of this:

Microsoft Corp. is no longer interested in buying all of Yahoo Inc., CEO Steve Ballmer said Wednesday, though he told shareholders that the company would still be “very open” to a collaboration on Internet search. His comments sent Yahoo shares diving by 12 percent.
Or
“Let me be clear,” Ballmer said at Microsoft’s annual shareholder meeting. “We are done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo.”
Yahoo spurned a $47.5 billion takeover offer from Microsoft in May, and later rejected Microsoft’s bid to buy only its search engine. Ballmer has said repeatedly of late that the buyout remains off the table, though a search-related deal is possible.

Ballmer dismisses Yahoo buyout but open on search [Yahoo Finance (Ha! Ha!)]

Comments (20)

  1. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:02 PM

    Burn.

  2. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:03 PM

    Jerry Yang wishes he was first to sell out to Microsoft

  3. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:05 PM

    Not literally.

  4. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:05 PM

    Yang is the new Fuld. I hate MSFT as much as the next guy, but he should have realized how much MSFT was overpaying.
    Ballmer is right (can’t believe I am saying that). He’s going to go all JPM on them. Why pay up when he can just pick through the carcass?

  5. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:06 PM

    So Joe Scoby gets booted from UBS executive committee….but he gave his previous job to a guy from North Carolina. Now, they’re both holding the same title on the web site. Who’s sucking?

  6. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:07 PM

    Yang is Solly! Miclosoft please?

  7. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:08 PM
  8. Posted by bondguy007 | November 19, 2008 at 1:09 PM

    Swoop in and offer $15 or less instead of the original $20 area. Good plan Gates. One step closer to taking over the world.

  9. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:13 PM

    Who the f is Simon Glover? Have you seen the shit going on in Dubai with commodities? Who’s the Paul Volcker of the Gulf? Stay away!

  10. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:17 PM

    Good work, Steve! Pick up Yahoo for bargain basement prices!

  11. Posted by Harald | November 19, 2008 at 1:17 PM
  12. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:21 PM

    Another CEO who sends his company up the Yin Yang. Is it ever going to stop?
    Yahoo= up the wazoo by Jan @ $15. if there are no other chinks in the armor

  13. Posted by VOL IS KING | November 19, 2008 at 1:24 PM

    If the guys at yahoo were smart they would start an internet payment processing service of their own to compete with paypal….. then just apply to become a bank holding company and operate on TARP funds. fucking left coaster don’t know how get when the gettins good. Maybe Yahoo finance is sufficient, its got finance right there in the name, that’s got be worth what $3.5bn..

  14. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:25 PM

    Yang is too personally/emotionally attached he should have been removed awhile back.

  15. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:28 PM

    Jeff Yang = Destroy in Large of Value

  16. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:42 PM

    Yang needs to get career advice from Isiah Thomas

  17. Posted by VOL IS KING | November 19, 2008 at 1:43 PM

    @16:
    what value? yahoo started off as list of web pages. We’ve moved beyond list technology. They out sourced their search too google. I guess they compile news paper clipping, i’m not really sure where the value add was ever was there. Yang should have pulled a Cuban when he had the chance.

  18. Posted by Harald | November 19, 2008 at 1:44 PM

    yahoo’s primary competitive advantage is its brand. you guys are smart, you should have been able to figure that out

  19. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 1:59 PM

    Yang sold out poor Chinamen working on a democracy movement in the mother country. Those pinko commy faggots are pulling out their fingernails as we speak. Too bad they weren’t Yang’s fingernails…

  20. Posted by guest | November 19, 2008 at 2:18 PM

    @14….hillarious

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