Rupert Murdoch wants Skype
p2pnet.net News :- VoIP application Skype is the brainchild of Niklas Zennstrom of Kazaa fame, and Janus Friis. And now Rupert Murdoch wants to own it, according to “well-placed sources” quoted by Britain’s The Independent.
“Skype entered into talks with News Corp over a potential $3bn sale,” it says. “This would have made a massive profit for the two founders and their backers – Hotmail investor Howard Hartenbaum and four venture capital firms – which together put just $20m into the business.
“However, talks fell apart last month, just before Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan quit his father’s empire. Skype would have fitted in well with News Corp’s satellite TV interests, which include controlling minorities in DirecTV in the US and BSkyB in the UK.”
But although the Murdoch negotiations have apparently broken down and Skype has denied it’s for sale, “sources in the telecoms industry say they expect it to be taken over shortly,” says The Independent.
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See:-
The Independent – News Corp in $3bn talks with internet phone group Skype, August 7, 2005
