Facebook: Why Microsoft's Buy Makes Sense

Forget about the take a stake in a fast-growing social network?

• . It gets to keep Google out, so that’s good.


• . It gets to serve ads to those millions of devoted users who check their Facebook every five minutes.


• . It has effectively bought a call option on the future of the company.

  It’s not like Microsoft has to come up with the $15-billion. All it has to do is structure a deal that is worth $250-million or so, complete with agrees with me). Not to hype the Google comparison, since they are completely different animals, but wouldn’t you have bought a small percentage of Google if you had had the chance, regardless of the implied valuation?

  Anyway, the bottom line is that it’s only a 1.6-per-cent stake. And it looks like live-blogging the conference call.
  
  – Silicon Alley Insider did too, by way of writer Some analysis from Ashkan Karbasfrooshan at WatchMojo.
  
  – John Paczkowski at All Things D leads with the Ballmer quote about Facebook being, well… still room for others to invest.
  
  – Erick Schonfeld says Facebook took the path of tells the NYT “this was almost personal.”
  

  Suggest a Correction

  Found an error or have a suggestion? Let us know and we'll review it.

  Your Name *

  Your Email *

  Correction Details *

  Submit Correction