Google has hired boutique investment bank Qatalyst Group to provide advice on the ongoing battle between Microsoft and Yahoo.
Qatalyst Group is headed by colorful Silicon Valley investment banker Frank Quattrone, who as we noted in March has returned to the Valley after spending years in the wilderness fighting obstruction of justice charges.
Quattrone was head technology banker for Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley before that, during the first internet boom and had a hand in practically every major Internet IPO during the 1990s, from Amazon to Netscape. Notably Quattrone was one of the first investment bankers to show an interest in Google.
Amid daily reports of Microsoft’s attempted takeover of Yahoo, it comes as little surprise that Google has turned to an outside advisor for guidance. That it is Quattrone’s Qatalyst Group shows that Quattrone may climb back to his prime spot in Silicon Valley faster than his detractors would have expected..
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What do you think there are talking about?
Possible google intervention?
This Jerry Yang guy is really standing up to me! My letter to Yahoo did not scare him or his board at all!
He sent back this response:
“We continue to believe that your proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo and our stockholders,” read the statement.
He called me a liar several times:
“Contrary to statements in your letter, stockholders representing a significant portion of our outstanding shares have indicated to us that your proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo.”
Then he got mean:
“We consider your threat to commence an unsolicited offer and proxy contest to displace our independent board members to be counterproductive and inconsistent with your stated objective of a friendly transaction,”
This guy has really got moxie! Too bad I’m going to have to totally destroy him!
By the time I’m finished with him, he will be eating spam and living in a cardboard box!
Mark my words people! I will have Yahoo, even if I have to destroy it!
My guess is that this is related to the Yahoo trying out Google search ads and how to value that little try-out and possible outcomes from Google and Yahoo perspective.
ummmhh Interesting stuff.
Frank Quattrone is my hero and I have a picture of him in my wallet.
Do no evil, but feel free to hire it!
Quattrone is connected to the who’s who in the valley, especially closely with the who’s who who hate Microsoft…Schmidt, McNealy, Jobs and to many of the major behind the scenes power advisors like Larry Sonsini. Wise choice for Google. There are lots of “Friends of Frank” still out there.
Outside consultant — no job is at stake if outside professional advice doesn’t turn out pretty…
oh…..Thats Good
Ali Mustika sari
http://www.ilmumatematika.net
http://www.manshurin.com
My prediction is coming true - GOOG is going to come in and buy both of them and then send robots to kill us all
Steven Ballmer EVIL bad testesterone which is causing his baldness (DHT-bad testesterone) is gonna explode, it will slowly jump in the Yahoo elevated atmosphere and slowly inhibit the creativity of the young and happy developers who are trying day and night to create great products. The evil DHT of his is gonna slowly but surely in a ‘liquid like’ fashion wet the halls of Corporate yahoo so that the Google “do no evil” dreamers will be able to smell it across the 101 highway. Oh yeah, DHT can smell pretty bad. So anyway, the DHT will flood the computer labs at Yahoo and create an ugly digital experience.
Google will slowly sit in the DHT infested new silicon valley and get it’s engineers to develop a DHT inhibitor. It won’t work! They’ll meditate about it in their yoga classes and while eating at the cafeteria and it still won’t work.
That DHT is in it for the long run. Oh yeah, have you seen Steven Ballmer’s head lately, that’s powerful DHT man. We’re talking about a toxic kind that makes you wanna do no evil. So anyway, more to come on the next edition of DHT Part 2. The journey begins
Steven Ballmer EVIL bad testesterone which is causing his baldness (DHT-bad testesterone) is gonna explode, it will slowly jump in the Yahoo elevated atmosphere and slowly inhibit the creativity of the young and happy developers who are trying day and night to create great products. The evil DHT of his is gonna slowly but surely in a ‘liquid like’ fashion wet the halls of Corporate yahoo so that the Google “do no evil” dreamers will be able to smell it across the 101 highway. Oh yeah, DHT can smell pretty bad. So anyway, the DHT will flood the computer labs at Yahoo and create an ugly digital experience.
Google will slowly sit in the DHT infested new silicon valley and get it’s engineers to develop a DHT inhibitor. It won’t work! They’ll meditate about it in their yoga classes and while eating at the cafeteria and it still won’t work.
That DHT is in it for the long run. Oh yeah, have you seen Steven Ballmer’s head lately, that’s powerful DHT man. We’re talking about a toxic kind that makes you wanna do no evil. So anyway, more to come on the next edition of DHT Part 2. The journey begins
I don’t know if this matter will bring benefits to both of sides
http://www.discovery5000.com
If this Microsoft Yahoo story didn’t exist, we’d have twice less posts on TC. Please somebody buy Yahoo so we stop making so much noise for nothing
@11 if this MSFT/YHOO story didn’t exist we’d probably be talking about some stupid YCombinator startup.
This is a blessing in disguise
Anybody know who it is in the Justice Department that the Google has in their pocket?
We know it was someone big for them to get the DoubleClick acquisition done…
If they have the balls to go after a partnership with Yahoo’s advertising they must have made some serious payments to someone?
Anyone know if someone in the Justice Anti-trust group has a child working at Google? Or a child in college looking for a job at the Google?
This will be an interesting story when the truth comes out….
Does google fear about the deal ? Google knows that if this deal happens, they will loose their potential online ad market… it looks like google envisioned this deal to be happened in nearer future so making their business safe in advance..
OK, but who made the cheesy picture using MS Paintbrush?
It looks crazy google is taking outside advisor for guidance.
Microsoft are trying to get into the Web business. Maybe the best move for Google would be, not to try to block the deal, but to move in on Microsoft’s territory.
A merger with Apple would give them access to an operating system (OSX vs Windows), a mp3 player (iPod vs Zune) and a mobile phone (iPhone vs Windows Mobile), 3 sectors Microsoft are fighting on.
Goople is the move Microsoft would never see coming.
@ajadoniz - me too.
@tim - i’d like to know too - i have one extra space in my wallet and that picture is amazing.
The picture was my creation. Truly a work of love.
We know it was someone big for them to get the DoubleClick acquisition do
Google will slowly sit in the DHT infested new silicon valley and get it’s engineers to develop a DHT inhibitor.
As a fellow 5-year Wharton submatriculant, I have nothing but support and respect for Q. I was at Deutsche when he was the tech leader there and all my tech M&A buddies were in awe with him and moved en masse to csfb. now they’re leaders at his new shop. it’s great to see a bright guy who got implicated in a Spitzer-style witch hunt is getting back into the game.
now we need to free milken. or mumia. heck, free em all.