>The consortium is in the second round of bidding in the auction for Yahoo's assets, the people said. Buffett is helping finance the offer, one of the people added.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yahoo-m-a-buffett-idUSKCN0...
This is more like when he loaned money to GE. Hope this bid wins, I always love learning how he structures his deals.
Agree, it's more likely it's a favorable loan term (perhaps what he did with GS - high coupon preferred redeemable for common).
Buffett is know for not putting too much pressure on his investments giving them the time to grow and be profitable.
It is a strategy that worked pretty well, however a technology company is a different beast from the other companies in the Hathaway portfolio (winner takes it all/most), said so Yahoo can still an important player with the right management.
Buffet isn't bidding for the group, it wouldn't be part of the Hathaway portfolio. He's just providing the financial backing for Dan Gilbert.
According to Wikipedia, they are also the world's largest industrial research organization.
I heard on the radio that someone proclaimed Facebook is now a media company...no, they've always been a media company.