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Microsoft to Yahoo: Two Days to Respond or Else!

by Kara Swisher
Posted on February 1, 2008 at 11:16 AM PT

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Sources at Yahoo tell me that Microsoft made its most recent overtures right after Yahoo announced its earnings Tuesday and then told Yahoo execs they had two days to respond or Microsoft would go public with the offer.

When Yahoo balked at the heavy-handed tactic, guess what? Microsoft went public.

Now Yahoo is scrambling to figure out a response to the overture, but is looking for any other option but Microsoft.

A number of top executives I spoke to today were flabbergasted by what is essentially a hostile move by Microsoft. Yahoo’s Jerry Yang has been rebuffing such advances, made both privately and in veiled references in public by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

“I woke up this morning and couldn’t believe that they did it,” said one exec. “They had made a lot of overtures, but this was astonishing. I could not believe Microsoft would be so aggressive.”

Believe it.

Print Post to Twitter Comments Tagged: BoomTown, Kara Swisher, Microsoft, Yahoo, , , | permalink
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  • i am just waiting the result of this. i hope after a decision yes or not everything will be good for users and also for yahoo...
  • I can't wait for Google to get in there and make a bid.

    Talk about the "mother of all bidding wars"
  • Alan Hogan
    Fascinating.

    @Wayne: Are you kidding? Won't happen.

    KARA - please (allow users to) increase the font size. I have to zoom in by 30% to (semi-)comfortably read this post.
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About Kara

Kara Swisher started covering digital issues for The Wall Street Journal's San Francisco bureau in 1997 and also wrote the BoomTown column about the sector. With Walt Mossberg, she co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference. Read more »

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Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.

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