Yahoo CEO, Yang, Says to Microsoft, 'Buy Yahoo'

[engine]

Yahoo CEO, Yang, Says to Microsoft, [news.bbc.co.uk] 'Buy Yahoo'

Yahoo said the "For Sale" sign is still on its front lawn and that Microsoft should buy the company.

The internet portal's co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang made the comment despite the fact Yahoo rejected a $33 (£21) a share offer from Microsoft back in May.

Mr Yang's suggestion also came hours after Google pulled out of an internet advertising partnership with Yahoo.

"To this day the best thing for Microsoft to do is buy Yahoo," said Mr Yang.

"I don't think that is a bad idea at all, at the right price whatever that price is. We're willing to sell the company," he told a packed ballroom at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco.

[Habtom]

I think Steve Ballmer should have the pleasure of offering them $1 a share.

[natfinn]

Are you sure Ballmer should offer the WHOLE dollar a share?

[drall]

Well played Ballmer ;)

[bwnbwn]

What a huge loss for the share holders. I would now suspect Yahoo is about to go under and now Microsoft can come back and offer $20.00 a share and save themselves a ton of cash at the expense of the share holders.
I would also suspect if Microsoft declines the Yang is a gonner for sure. Either way he is gone sale or no sale.

[ecmedia]

I think Microsoft should buy these idiots for peanuts and then fire all the nuts that have been at the top. I know there are some good guys in Yahoo in the middle but otherwise they need to be eliminated as a company.

[iThink]

Anyone here still looking for an example of how incompetent managements can drive businesses into the ground?

BTW, Yahoo is still ranked number 1 on alexa.

[jamsy]

Looks like Yang has done a ratner with this one!

[zett]

Jerry, what you probably meant was this: "To this day the best thing [that could have happened] to Yahoo! is to sell to Microsoft." Otherway around does not make so much sense.

Just when you thought Yang could not sink any lower - he does his next stupid move, in this case: trying to sell Yahoo! to Microsoft - after countless actions that underlined the incompentence of the company.

Next he will probably say that Yahoo! won't reject a $30 offer any longer. Muhahaha. I guess Jerry is targeting a career in comedy.

[CrustyAdmin]

Jerry, the visionless CEO. This will all be an example in a text book someday.

[nomis5]

"A Ratner" - I like it!

Yang has done the sensible thing, get very desparate. At last, he's seen into the near future and he doesn't like what he sees. Yahoo is going under, no doubt about that now.

[marketingmagic]

Yes, for an educated guy he's definetely not the sharpest tool in the shed. :-) Should have taken MS's offer when it was on the table.

[Philosopher]

This is what happens when you let emotions cloud your judgment in business. Yahoo is Yang's baby and his dislike for MS overshadowed what was in his shareholders best interests.

[anshul]

Anyone here still looking for an example of how incompetent managements can drive businesses into the ground?

Its absurd, how big, successful businesses destroy. Company culture degrades over a time, and many many people do participate in it.

[clearvision]

What are the selling points of Yahoo? I'm getting ready to have a yard sale, maybe I can scratch up enough cash and round up some friends that are interested in a rescue opportunity... :)

[Philosopher]

rescue opportunity

I've got a 5 spot I'll pitch in.

[randle]

"I don't think that is a bad idea at all, at the right price whatever that price is. We're willing to sell the company,"

Is this guy all there? “Whatever the price is”? He rejected $31/share (well actually some people wanted to FORCE him to take $31/share) and today it’s trading at $14/share and he’s making statements like that. If he doesn’t want to sell the company that’s fine, but he needs to act in a manner that takes into account the responsibility he has to other share holders. Idiotic statements like this one do not meet that by a long shot.

[Shaddows]

What are the selling points of Yahoo?

The exeperience of building the best web portal of the century (20th Century, obviously)

[SEOMike]

Wonder if Yahoo will move forward with their plans for a datacenter / customer care center in Omaha. Those Nebraskans are pretty excited about it. The governor turned out in full Yahoo gear including purple tennis shoes for the announcement.

[ddogg]

A combined, streamlined Y! MS is the only chance of creating a true competitor to Google. That is vitally important. They have to act quick though while Y! traffic is still so high. Then MS should buy AOL, and maybe even Facebook while they are at it (but not at that crazy valuation, give me a break). Bold moves are needed right now, otherwise Google will be the next MS, ruling the internet for the next 20 years.

Google has won the search war, but that doesn't mean there aren't more wars coming. MS needs to get in a better position to fight them.

[CainIV]

Sad,I would agree with 'visionless'.

To make a statement like that after the deal fell through with Google shows the sheer level of desperation.

[drall]

If MS comes back to the table and that is a very BIG if at this point considering many of the core people have already bailed then I would bet we dont see a offer higher then 18.00 per share.

Yang will forever go down as the fella who blew a deal that was worth more then the combined worth of the big 3 auto makers.

[edited by: drall at 8:12 pm (utc) on Nov. 6, 2008]

[weeks]

Another voice for "visionless." I don't know what they should do either. I guess reduce costs and listen to their ad buyers and give them what they want and need.

It's sad, but I used to be a big Yahoo user. When they dropped NYT articles on their news, the page wasn't as interesting to me. Their search isn't awful, but G is better. I use Hotmail for my online email; no big reason, I just picked it and it works ok.

Etc, etc. Yahoo is not bad, it's just that in every category, someone seems to be a bit better for me. And why use a second choice?

That is the lesson of Yahoo for me.

[ispy]

Maybe Google should buy Yahoo? Merging their cold homepage and holier then thou vibe with some content and warm entertainment.

[jgold454]

If microsoft did buy Yahoo whose search algo do you think would prevail in the new entity?

[anshul]

If microsoft did buy Yahoo whose search algo do you think would prevail in the new entity?

I don't understand, if this world needs another search engine. We need some aliens to annihilate Google from earth.

[StoutFiles]

Yes, for an educated guy he's definetely not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Let me know when you create a site like Yahoo! He made a dumb decision not selling but he's still very, very rich.

[tictoc]

I hope MS buys it and makes the search as Live search. I cant stand Yahoo search. Yahoo search has been corrupt since day one. Amazing how they could own so many search engines and not do anything with it.

Yang is probably a good guy looking out for the employees at Yahoo thinking they will not mold well with MS. I think they will since they are more concerned about their jobs than anything right now with all these layoffs. We are not living in the same times as we were 12 months ago.

[BillyS]

I can't imagine how the Yahoo employees much feel right now. What a loss....

[Clark]

I'm going to add my voice of support to Yang. He doesn't deserve the heavy criticism he's getting. He built a great thing at a young age. Some other BIG SHOTS with no vision blew a great thing. He was given the reigns at a devastating time and didn't have a fair chance to turn things around. He inherited a mess and had to spend time putting out fire after fire. It's easy to judge from your terminal, but he sounds like a guy who cared about the company and the people. A rare thing in this day and age. I remain a fan of Yahoo and Yang and feel sad that circumstances are tainting his name.

Hindsight makes everyone a genius.