China Approves Google Motorola Mobility Merger

symbolset writes "CNET is reporting that China has approved Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Previously approved by regulatory authorities in the U.S. and Europe, China was the last holdout. The deal will now reportedly close 'within days.'" I wonder what conditions Google may have faced from the regulators, and whether they include any exceptions to the "don't be evil" guideline.

Comments

Re:don't be evil

[symbolset]

This wasn't Larry Page and Sergey Brin's idea. The bankers who backed the IPO insisted on a babysitter with experience in running a multinational corporation, and they got one. That it cost so much wasn't because they offered it but because he had the wisdom to insist on stock options rather than straight pay. He might have got nothing at all if Google had tanked right after. He was also smart enough to let them do their thing. Instead of tanking Google shares flew to the moon, and he became wealthy beyond the dreams of Midas - though he was beyond worring about paying the rent even beforehand.

Re:don't be evil

[symbolset]

Google printed options of no value, and the market made them into $10 B on its own. But Google didn't pay. That money didn't come out of Google's revenues.