Comments on: Icahn seeks to derail Google as AOL partner

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn says a pact between America Online and Google would be a "disastrous decision."

[nicmart]

Icahn's sterling reputation

Icahn, whose reputation for understanding the needs of
companies is second only to Fidel Castro's, cares about one
thing: having his stock holding rise rapidly so that he can sell for
a profit. Unlike other takeover specialists, he has sucked the life
out of his corporate victims. (I think corporate takeovers are
good on principle.)

Icahn has admitted that he knows nothing about companies that
he ignorantly calls "digital," and Time Warner stockholders might
be better off getting advice from someone who knows the score
and has a better record than he.

Disclosure: I have some investments in broad market indexes,
and all of the companies involved in this issue are probably
included within those indexes, but I've never checked and don't
care.

[Sonicsands]

Icahn cares about long term value?

What a hypocrite! He has a history of caring only for short term gains by splitting up a company to make personal gains. It is pathetically sad that he is even allowed to threaten the management of a company from making day to day decisions. Can anyone not shut this guy up?

[Robert Wiseman]

No brain at TW Management

Agreeing to sell 5% of AOL for 1B is not a smart move. AOL has a much bigger market value than $20B. Looks at how much Google itself is market value. At this price the Management just confirmed their dumbt mistake by merging with AOL years ago once again....
As a share holder, I strongly am against this sale.

[TV James]

I agree.

After all the work they've done trying to dis-entangle the Advance/Newhouse and AT&T and Time Warner Entertainment ownership mess, now they want to go and sell off ownership rights to tiny pieces of AOL?

This is just dumb. Icahn might be a dork who makes himself richer at others' expenses, but he is correct in his assertion that a Google's little tiny deal is solely aimed to prevent someone else from getting ahold of it.