Jilted Yang desperate to deal?

Is Jerry Yang getting eager to make a deal?

The Yahoo chief might well be reeling from Google's decision Wednesday to pull the plug on a search-ad partnership with Yahoo that would have given Yahoo major new revenue but that raised antitrust concerns. Google said the proposed partnership wasn't worth the headache after the Department of Justice notified Yahoo and Google that if they proceeded with their controversial search agreement, it would file a lawsuit to block the deal.

Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang talks about the Microsoft deal that got away.

(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET News)

Now it appears that Yang is leaving the door very much open for an old suitor: Microsoft.

During a moderated "conversation" at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco, Yang said late Wednesday that, "To this day, I have to say that the best thing for Microsoft to do is to buy Yahoo. I don't think that is a bad idea at all..."

But...wait for it...

"...at the right price, whatever the price is, we are willing to sell the company," he explained. "We were ready to negotiate, we wanted to negotiate a deal, and we felt that we weren't that far apart. But at the end of the day, they withdrew and they since have been very clear about not wanting to buy the company."

Yup, there's that tired, old "right price" qualifier that scuttled the deal at $33 a share and angered more than a few stockholders and employees.

If Microsoft were willing to do the deal today, it would doubtlessly be at a more bargain-basement price--say closer to half the original offer?

But maybe it's time for Yang to accept that he let a good catch get away.

[sharmajunior]

Beg baby beg. He should have went with Microsoft when they had the chance. I personally prefer to call it "Microhoo".

[nasserd]

Microhoo? Not you, Yahoo!

[jandler]

I offered 33cents.

[Dalmatian28]

Oooo now he wants it!!!!! Now the Microsoft is no longer hampering innovation and freedom at Yahoo . If I was Steve Balmer I would offer him 99c per share...just to offend him! Google has managed to lift Yang's tail for months already.... and they were so naive to buy into it. Now it seem like his tail is finely between his legs... and that is exactly where it belongs! If you have no creativity or market share or money to back up your claims...it is just matter of time before others figure you out and call your bluff! His ass is broke, he has run out of ideas and yahoo shareholders have passed great opportunity because of him...his ass should get fired! He got to go ...period!

[manualfunky]

Yasoft

[PhaseDMA]

I had only gotten over the anti MS sentiment a couple of years ago.

But now after the way MS has raked Yahoo over the coals I may very well despise them more then ever. The ironic part is MS may have had a far better chance had they not been so aggressive.

[minipc168]

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[rcardona2k]

Jerry blew it. Walking away from Microsoft's offer is one of the biggest mistakes I've seen in my long history in tech. At first I thought it was going against the netgen grain to be bought by Microsoft but it came down to simple greed instead. The Y! board should have fired Jerry by now. Google is dumping Y! too. Must be lonely to be Jerry.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Ballmer should offer $1 per share. MSFT was smart to walk away earlier. YHOO isn`t worth squat now.
Awin win for the Softie ! Up next...RIM !

[CrashPad63]

You know this really was Google plan all along, Hold a carrot out for Yahoo. Then yank it away when the moment was right. Yahoo is now weaker for a takeover by anyone. And Google played this venture like a fiddle. Shame on you Google! Google you are evil. Do know evil! Shoot Google is just like any other big business. Make as much money as you can, while destroying the competition.

[Super2online]

It's time for Microsoft to take the company for a song and get rid of the Yahoo brand name. It has been tarnished beyond repair. There are a couple of valuable properties that would be worth having, and sell the rest of the scraps to whoever wants them.We are at the fire sale stage now. Microsoft knew exactly what it was doing when it walked away before.

[Seaspray0]

Yang, I hope you have plenty of KY jelly because the other end is already full of your foot.

[Renegade Knight]

Well now. I'm not sure why people can't wrap their mind around a simple concept. If MicroSoft needed Yahoo, then Yahoo has value as a stand alone company. Yes we are in a recession. Yes Yahoo appears to have stumbled. No Yahoo isn't dead. If it were, what value would it have to MicroSoft?

MicroSoft brings nothing but cash and a desire to be what Yahoo is (or can be) to the table.

[slecalvez]

The Microsoft offer got up to 40 Billion USD, offering to buy its shares at aprox. 30 USD. Now the share is worth 13 miserable USD. Yahoo's market cap is 19 Bil USD right now. Given Yahoo's position, MSFT should offer not a penny more than that... Maybe even less.
I'm so glad this happened. Jerry Yang was stupid, pretentious and proud.

[theantibush]

See?

Just a matter of time...then pick it up at a firesale price.

Sooooo simple.

[PhaseDMA]

And then watch as the FTC laughs at them when they ask for approval.