Discussing a Private Buyout of Microsoft

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Friday August 25, 2006 @07:59AM from the that's-quite-a-deal dept.

PatriceVignon writes "Are private buyout companies setting their eyes on Microsoft? The Financial Times claims exactly that in an article called 'Private equity folk could do wonders with Microsoft', as ZDnet reports: 'Consider Microsoft, which has a balance sheet so inefficient that it would make a private equity investor weep ... The new management could take the axe to Microsoft's $6.6bn of wasteful research and development expenditure. The bloated workforce of more than 60,000 could be slashed, to the point where the huge resulting increase in cash flow would at last permit the company to borrow mega-billions.' Business Week, though, begs to differ: 'practically speaking, it's not going to happen,' and quotes Daniel Primack: 'Snakes on a Plane will win a best picture Oscar before Microsoft gets acquired by LBO firms.' What do you think?"

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Come on! 10X Bigger than the Biggest Ever? by davevt5 · 2006-08-25 08:02 · Score: 5, Informative

The largest LBO ever completed was RJR Nabisco in 1989 for $31.3 billion. Microsoft's market cap is $260 billion. Slap on that a 20% premium and you're looking at $312 Billion.

Do you think that an LBO of 10X the previous record is going to happen? I think not.

I like the comparison of Best Picture Oscar and Snakes on a Plane. Seriously though, I wouldn't be surprised if that film actually wins best film.