Sources:Yahoo! Bd Grp Splits With CEO On Microsoft Bid-Report

Feb.15, 2008 in Market Outlook

Last Update: 2/15/2008 8:19:01 AM

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–Friction on Yahoo! Inc.’s (YHOO) board stemming from
Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) hostile takeover bid has led to the creation of an
informal board group, which is concerned with chief Jerry Yang’s reaction to the
$44.6 billion bid, the New York Post reported Friday, citing unidentified
sources.

The informal board group is led by Yahoo! Chairman Roy Bostock, Ron Burkle, and
other unidentified members, the Post reported. The group, the newspaper reported,
is concerned that “the emotional part of Yang would rather do anything but sell
to Microsoft, but he doesn’t have the cards to come up with a value-creating,
competitive alternative for shareholders,” one source close to the situation
said.

Yahoo! board members Eric Hippeau, of Softbank Corp. (9984.TO), and Robert
Kotick, of Activision Inc. (ATVI), have been marginalized along with Yang, the
Post reported, citing a source said to do business with Yahoo! and with close
ties with its executives.

“They’re just as emotional as Jerry (Yang) and as biased against selling to
Microsoft as he is,” the Post quoted the source as saying.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 15, 2008 08:19 ET (13:19 GMT)

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