Ballmer: ‘Wait And See’ On Yahoo Buy; Facebook Investment ‘Not A Mistake’, No Value Guarantee
By Robert Andrews - Mon 05 Nov 2007 10:00 AM PST
In Mumbai for Red Herring’s ATRE conference, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer was pushed by reporters (via Reuters) on the wisdom of coughing up $240 million for 1.6 percent of Facebook last month: “We didn’t make a mistake.” And, for those who thought that stake valued the social network at $15 billion:”The valuation of Facebook is still to be determined. Certainly today, it’s very, very popular. So for a company like ours that wants to be a pre-eminent presence in this space, it’s very important for us. Will Facebook be worth $5 billion, $15 billion or $50 billion some years down the line is really up to their team and how they take it forward.”
Perhaps most interestingly, it seems the prospect of a merger, alliance or acquisition with Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) - reports of which resurfaced in May - hasn’t dissipated. Reuters: “Asked if Microsoft was interested in buying Yahoo Inc, Ballmer said: ‘My answer is a considered ‘no comment’. We want to succeed in the online advertising space. What happens with Yahoo, we’ll all have to wait and see.’”
Posted in: Companies, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, VC+M&A
Tags: red herring, steve ballmer,
