Yahoo! sells its online search business for $ 20 billion?

A report in Sunday Times on the so-called Microsoft Yahoo deal was recognized as “total fiction”. It is proved by AllThingsDigital blog which is known as rather influential and competent Internet source. 


According to Sunday Time’s information the proposal under discussion involves a complex transaction that would see the Microsoft support a new management team to take control of Yahoo. It was noted that new team would be led by ex-AOL Chairman and CEO Jonathan Miller and Former Fox Interactive Media President Ross Levinsohn. However, such facts were considered a fake by several reasons.

Firstly, Sunday Times didn’t cite its sources. Secondly, Yahoo spokesman Brad Williams assured that it was a rumor. And Yahoo refuses to comment on rumors. Thirdly, according to AllThingsDigital blog, affiliated with Wall Street Journal, quoted the opinion of Levinsohn who characterized the report as “total fiction”. Top sources at Yahoo and Microsoft also scoffed at the report.

It was known that earlier this year Microsoft withdrew $ 47.5 billion buyout offer for Yahoo after Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang and his board rejected this offer as too low.

However, further speculations on that topic had no big results. According to activist investor Carl Icahn who increased his stake in the company to 5.4 percent last week, Microsoft is interested just in doing a deal on search, not in buying the whole company.