Yahoo leaderless (and up for sale?)

David Heath
Wednesday, 07 September 2011 21:42

IT Industry - Listed Tech

Is this the end of the line for Yahoo?  Their CEO sacked and suggestions that the company is up for sale (at the right price).  Perhaps Alibaba's CEO Jack Ma is the man for the job.

The terse "all-worldwide" email from Carol Bartz to everyone at Yahoo says it all:

To all,

I am very sad to tell you that I've just been fired over the phone by Yahoo's Chairman of the Board. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and I wish you only the best going forward.

Carol

Sent from my iPad

(one can only assume she then had to give the iPad back to the company)

This informal announcement was confirmed a short time later by an official press release from Yahoo confirming her ousting and the interim appointment of current CFO Timothy Morse to the role of CEO pending the search for and appointment of a new CEO.

At least one insider has suggested that "Yahoo is open to selling itself to the right bidder."

So, if you were a budding CEO; would you want a job at a company that is putting itself up for sale?  A company that is on a downward spiral (aside from the 6% stock price gain immediately after the Bartz news broke!)?  A company that used to be great?

Didn't think so.

Maybe the only person who might be interested would be China-based Alibaba CEO Jack Ma, who could potentially engineer a reverse takeover based on the 40% stake Yahoo holds in his company (it's probably the only thing of real value Yahoo actually owns).