Microsoft tried again last Friday evening to acquire Yahoo! and their search business, this time with a helping hand. Carl Icahn, owner of 5% of Yahoo!’s stocks, has heeded Microsoft’s “call for help” and went all in with them to achieve their goal of taking over the company, as well as their search capabilities. The only thing Icahn wants is Jerry Yang (Chief Executive) and Yahoo!’s board relieved of their duties.  

• Recent photo of Carl Icahn.

Icahn seems like a carefree person, just wanting to feel big standing next to the real head honcho, Microsoft. 5% of stocks is a lot, but he is just another shareholder like the rest of them. Not only that, but why is he trying to take down Yahoo!’s heads (and using Microsoft as a tool, seeing that they’ll help him do it)? Obviously, Yahoo! declined the deal within the 24 hour time period they were given to respond. Yahoo! said these were the reasons for their rejection of the proposal by the Microsoft/Icahn duo.

1. Yahoo!’s existing business plus its recently signed commercial agreement with Google has superior financial value and less complexity and risk than the Microsoft/Icahn proposal.
2. The Microsoft/Icahn proposal would preclude a potential sale of all of Yahoo! for a full and fair price, including a control premium.
3. The major component of the overall value per share asserted by Microsoft/Icahn would be in Yahoo!’s remaining non-search businesses which would be overseen by Mr. Icahn’s slate of directors, which has virtually no working knowledge of Yahoo!’s businesses.
4. The Microsoft/Icahn proposal would require the immediate replacement of the current Board and removal of the top management team at Yahoo!. The Yahoo! Board believes these moves would destabilize Yahoo! for the up to the one year it would take to gain regulatory approval for this deal. 

Plus this takeover would definatly not be welcomed by Yahoo! stockholders, excluding Mr. Icahnsoft. Just look at what Yahoo! Chairman Roy Bostock said.  

 ”This odd and opportunistic alliance of Microsoft and Carl Icahn has anything but the interests of Yahoo’s stockholders in mind.”      

Microsoft! Yahoo said NO, so leave em’ alone! Getting a happy-go-lucky kind of guy like Icahn won’t help you at all!