Comments on: "Total Fiction": There Is No $20 Billion Microsoft Deal to Buy Yahoo Search (Not Yet, at Least!)

By: Microsoft Bidding for Yahoo!’s Search Business: Report (Update: Nah) : McTechie : I’m lovin’it!

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:10:36 +0000

[...] I was pretty skeptical, as I wrote above. Multiple sources have confirmed with no less than Levinsohn himself that it’s pure [...]

By: Another Day, Another Questionable Yahoo Story Rocks the Stock | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:52:49 +0000

[...] last weekend, for example, an inaccurate report appeared in the Times of London that, ironically, had Microsoft and Yahoo in a convoluted search deal, with Miller and Levinsohn as [...]

By: Yahoo Board Casts About for New CEO: No Committee, Six Criteria and AOL Merger-Ready! | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:00:50 +0000

[...] let’s return from the land of fatuous deal schemes and half-baked plots to buy Yahoo and get to the most critical issue facing its board right now: [...]

By: The Yahoo Rumor Mill–The Broken Clock Will Be Right at Some Time | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:26:00 +0000

[...] was the case this weekend, with yet another story–this time in the Times of London–about Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo being involved in yet another [...]

By: Mike Kane

Mike Kane — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:19:22 +0000

The problem with the original story is for a deal of this magnitude to take shape a competent management team would have to be in place to properly evaluate the deal. No such management has been in place since Yang, Decker, Bostock, et. al. began running the show. The only other problem is that YHOO’s board has proven time and time again that they don’t care about the shareholders, so they could be just arrogant enough, or Yang could be just desperate enough to save some face to agree to just about any crumb that MSFT throws its way.

By: Jeff Stevens

Jeff Stevens — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:39:57 +0000

How can Ross Levinsohn say it’s “total fiction”. He can only say that he knows nothing about it. That quote indicates he is a “player” even if the details are incorrect. Only Yahoo or Microsoft can say it’s fiction.

By: william olic

william olic — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:23:55 +0000

Good work, Kara. But the rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth Yahoo groupies will drive prices up tomorrow, regardless. Then, we can wait for Ballmer to dispel all rumors, and watch it drop again.

Doesn’t it seem suspicious to you that these rumors surface over again and again? Wonder where the rumor mill might be? How about Sunnyvale, CA?

By: Joseph Hunkins

Joseph Hunkins — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:21:47 +0000

Thanks for the clarification, though I think there is a story here in terms of *why* the Times ran with the lie. That is a major, reputable paper and this smells a bit like an attempt at stock manipulation though you’d think that rumor would have been posted late tonight for maximum effect.

And hey Kara – is that new “All Things D” pic your Uma Thurman look? Cool!

By: Robert Stevens

Robert Stevens — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:45:16 +0000

I think Yahoo needs to bring in James Kennedy to fix what is going on there. He has always impressed me with his ability to grasp what others are missing in a situation. Yahoo sure could use has talents.

By: Jay Cuthrell

Jay Cuthrell — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:04:21 +0000

Who plays Captain Koons in this version of the movie?

By: Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:45:40 +0000

No. The Guardian Media Group is owned by the Scott Trust and the Times is owned by News Corp., which also owns this site.

By: zato Gibson

zato Gibson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:58:20 +0000

I’m surprised to hear this story discredited! Doesn’t Microsoft own both the Times of London and The Guardian?

By: Puneet Thapliyal

Puneet Thapliyal — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:55:14 +0000

Thank you for clearing the confusion. For a moment I thought you had lost all your Yahoo! sources.