Sunday, June 19, 2016

Psst, want to flog a turkey like LinkedIn? Well, phone up Microsoft | John Naughton

The purchase of LinkedIn makes no business sense – its ship sailed long ago

There is something irresistibly comical about the spectacle of two CEOs announcing a friendly takeover. The two chaps (for they are still generally chaps) stand side by side, grinning into the cameras. The proud new owner explains what a great outfit his latest acquisition is, how pleased he is with the deal, extols the “synergies” that will magically materialise once the marriage is consummated and expresses his undying admiration for the poor schmuck who is now his latest subordinate.

The schmuck, for his part, declares his undying admiration for his new boss and his deep respect for the gigantic organisation into whose maw he is about to disappear. He, too, is “incredibly excited” by the new horizons that are now open to him and his colleagues. The marriage is a very good deal for both organisations – a win-win outcome no less. The fact that he omits to mention how much he has personally made from the deal is tactfully overlooked by his admiring media audience.

One reason for Microsoft buying LinkedIn is simply that it could. It's sitting on $100bn and has to do something with it

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from Mergers and acquisitions | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1WVGOmh

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