Carl Icahn says he favors Yahoo-Microsoft search deal
As finalization of a Microsoft-Yahoo search deal reportedly nears, activist investor Carl Icahn--who played a key role in trying to broker a broader partnership between the companies last year--is speaking out in favor of such an agreement.
"I've been a strong advocate of getting a search deal done with Microsoft," Icahn, who owns about 5 percent of Yahoo and sits on its board, told Reuters in a phone interview Friday. "It would enhance value if a deal got done, because of the synergies involved."
According to an All Things Digital report late Thursday, several top Microsoft players--including online executives Yusuf Mehdi, Satya Nadella, and Qi Lu--are in Silicon Valley to try to finalize a search deal with Yahoo.
The report says the two sides are "down to the short strokes" after years of closely watched on-again, off-again talks. A deal could come within a week, All Things Digital said.
Icahn, for his part, wouldn't comment on where the latest supposed negotiations between Yahoo and Microsoft stand, according to Reuters. Icahn was a central figure in Microsoft's highly scrutinized $47.5 billion takeover bid for Yahoo, which fell apart last November.
During the negotiations, he launched a proxy fight in a bid to take over Yahoo's board. Among his wishes was that then-CEO Jerry Yang step down. The company and Icahn eventually reached an agreement that got him a seat on the board, and the number of seats was expanded, with Yahoo appointing two new members from Icahn's slate of candidates.
Since the full-out acquisition fell through, both Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and current Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz have indicated they are open to some sort of a search deal.
As my CNET News colleague Ina Fried pointed out, with Microsoft's Bing getting some good reviews and Microsoft having billions in cash on hand, the pieces would seem to be in place if both sides have the will to make it happen.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
There is nothig "better" about Google. They are one of the most evil companies on the planet.
@ t8 :"Deep down they know that they will wake up one day and find a horses head in their bed"
Naaaah.
But on the day that Microsoft signs a deal with Yahoo, you may wake up with a horse's head in your bed though, and a picture of Don Vito Corleone, Sergey Brin and Larry Page (all togeher) on top of it to boot.
"Never Say Never"!
Huh?
Have you ever heard of the word "analogy"?
Look it up.
@ cvaldes1831:"Like I wrote before, I wish Microsoft to really succeed with Bing/Windows Live/whatever "
This is what you wrote, and I quote:"You know that Bing was formerly Windows Live. Live is backwards for EVIL.
Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!"
I wouldn't exactly call that "Microsoft to really succeed" will you?
I'd call it wishing evil on Microsoft.
I use BING because it really gives better results , and it`s NOT Google.
Use BING....and put a ding in Google. And Google is the new EVIL !
Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
(Oh, I'm a MSFT shareholder and while I'd really like you to be right, you not. Sorry about that.)
PS: I don't own msft and don't use bing.
Ha ha!
The answer is no.
Of course you are not.
But hey, on the internet, any fool can be anything..at least in their own twisted minds. I feel sorry for ya.
Sadly, I am a MSFT shareholder. I purchased 21 shares in March 2003 in my Roth IRA for about $500. 6+ years later, the market value of my shares is five bucks over what I paid for them, a gain of 1%. About the only saving grace for this stock is the paltry dividend which they apparently started in November 2003, an overall ROI of +22% as of today.
Two years later, I purchased a bunch of Apple shares. While Apple doesn't pay a dividend the ROI on that investment is +220%.
Oh, and I occasionally do use Bing. I have used Hotmail as my garbage collection e-mail address for many years (for free registrations, things that might result in lots o' spam). I don't use much else from Microsoft, except their Natural Keyboards (I love 'em).
On the internet, any dog can claim to be a King.
Simply claiming to be a King on an internet board, doesn't make you a King does it?
Don't know about you, but I don't see any Microsoft shareholders, going about posting insane, rabid, anti-Microsoft shrieking like what you posted before, and I quote:
"You know that Bing was formerly Windows Live. Live is backwards for EVIL.
Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!"
Bing is an entirely new product, the successor to Windows Live Search, and that is its only relation to it, besides possible technological carries over to Bing.
Also, Live is indeed backwards for Evil. This is why Live is NOT evil. It is the antithesis of all things evil, including Google. Live CAN be interpreted to mean something that will destroy evil forever, and what better way to do so than to turn it backwards, making evil good?
Now of course, Bing is no longer named Live, and that's probably a good thing.
As a MSFT shareholder, you probably shouldn't expect too much growth from Microsoft. The market has seen time and time again that blue chip companies cannot see massive growth. A company like Apple which at that time was more speculative is a company that merits trading in (not investment, although I think it is also a good investment as long as Steve Jobs is at the helm).
It is important to realize that MSFT has already reached a point where their stock price has simply consolidated.
One key point to consider is that for the first time, an analyst has issued a sell warning on the stock in a very long time (or perhaps never? I did not research that yet, and don't have the inclination to do so so sorry about that).
That adds greatly to my notion that MSFT is in for some serious growth. It is never good to have nobody to doubt you, and especially when every analyst thinks a company is top of the line, that's the worst time to buy. The market will have already factored in the possibilities, and you should be ready for underperformance.
With the latest kind of vigor we're seeing from MSFT, there does seem that there is real hope for them once again to thrive. It has been far too long that they stayed still without competition.
You are making no sense. I have made no claim to be king, here or anywhere else.
Like I wrote before, I wish Microsoft to really succeed with Bing/Windows Live/whatever they call their next iteration of Internet services. I simply don't see them doing so. Why would a rabid anti-Microsoft shrieker actually buy shares of their company? (Note that I didn't even short these guys.)
And re-read my post above. I use Microsoft services (Hotmail, Bing occasionally) and I am a loyal purchaser of their Natural Keyboards. My home keyboard is actually plugged into a MacBook.
Ballmer can talk the talk, but he can't walk the walk. Microsoft needs new leadership to increase shareholder value.
Have you heard of the word "analogy" by any chance?
Look it up will ya?
@ cvaldes1831 :"Like I wrote before, I wish Microsoft to really succeed with Bing/Windows Live"
You also wrote this rant: "You know that Bing was formerly Windows Live. Live is backwards for EVIL.
Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!"
Doesn't sound much like wishing Microsoft "to succeed " to me.
Certainly not based on pageviews...
How can this be so when Code-Base OS/2 (Windows) will always be Code-Base OS/2 (Windows); and, this can be just the dawn of things yet to be seen on the web. First stop - entering the "Toxic Assets" Debris Fields with CASSINI (OS/2 Warp 5)!
His opinion should not be taken seriously. His comments are self-serving and he just wants to bail out of his Yahoo muddle. He tried to take over Yahoo and got unceremoniously kicked back to the curb. His monstrous ego is still probably black and blue over that utterly embarrassing and public smackdown.
Note that his proxy fight attempt didn't even get much support from the Wall Street community. If I recall correctly, the Legg Mason guy gave the thumbs-down signal and that pretty much sealed it.
"You invest in a company to make money and not to fight fake moral battles. Else, you are a dumb investor. Carl certainly isn't one."
It must really suck to have to go to meetings that show a resurgent Yahoo, while his little dream of a tech bonanza have been reduced to that of water cooler jokes... he's just making noises because, in this case, he was dumb. Dumb enough to believe Steve Ballmer, anyway.
on other hand, "Search CNET on Google" sounds sooo cool.
I can not let go my Google, even if M$ pays me too switch to Bing. lol
MS is a third rate "me-too" company.
- by JCPayne July 23, 2009 2:50 AM PDT
- Ha. He's just a MS mouthpiece. "Synergies"? like what? their services overlap in everything they do. MSN Groups/Yahoo Groups, LIVE Messenger/Yahoo messenger, (Funny how live is evil spelled backwards), MSN Search/Yahoo search. The Yahoo-Microsoft deal is just as anti-competitive. On DSL the only choice by Verizon is Verizon Yahoo, and Verizon with MSN. They should be forced by the gov't to spin one off to maintain Internet competition over DSL.
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