Yahoo chief says Microsoft not interested in renewed takeover try
29 May 2008 - 10:07:05

Wed May 28, 10:15 PM ET CARLSBAD, California (AFP) - chief executive Jerry Yang said Wednesday that Microsoft is "no longer interested" in buying the pioneering Internet firm, but is considering "other partnerships." Yang also maintained that Yahoo is "not under siege" despite a threatened stockholder revolt led by billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn. Yang's comments came during a speech at an "All Things Digital" conference organized by the Wall Street Journal in the Southern California city of Carlsbad. "Microsoft is no longer interested in buying the company and they are discussing various other partnerships with us," Yang said, echoing comments made the prior evening by Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer. "We are listening." Yang implied that sparring that took place between the companies while Microsoft's nearly 50 billion dollar offer was on the table has given way to talks aimed at finding a way for them to work together. Microsoft could have taken a "much more hostile" tact and tried to oust the Yahoo board of directors that rebuffed advances by the Redmond, Washington, based software giant, according to Yang. Yang stressed that it was Microsoft, not Yahoo, which walked away from the bargaining table. Microsoft says it broke off takeover talks in late April after it upped its February 1 bid of 44.6 billion dollars by three billion dollars and Yahoo's board still wanted more. Yang defended the board's handling of failed takeover talks with Microsoft and p...

Full article

Related news

Yahoo to reject Microsoft bid

Microsoft CEO plays down Google threat

Microsoft softens tone on Doubleclick/Google deal

Yahoo weighs options as Microsoft drama continues

Microsoft: New talks for alternative Yahoo deal

Timeline: Microsoft, Yahoo's merger-and-acquisition dance