Although many pundits believe the two companies are estranged from each other, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) had a recent meeting.
“The meeting, which took place near Yahoo headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., was the second between top executives from the two companies in recent weeks. Neither meeting included bankers,” The Journal said in an online article.
Given the evidence appearing in an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map, NewsVisual has maintained all along that it was highly probable that behind-the-scenes talks among the two companies’ Directors were ongoing.
The Knowledge Map that NewsVisual created demonstrates the likelihood of strong personal connections among the members of the two companies’ Board of Directors.
The first connection runs through the investment-banking firm Morgan Stanley. Microsoft Director Charles H Noski and Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock would certainly be acquainted with one another since they both currently serve on Morgan Stanley’s board.
Given Bostock’s influence within Yahoo, it’s highly probably that Microsoft would rely on Noski as a back channel for keeping the buyout negotiations open.
The Knowledge Map also illustrates another potential axis of connection between the Yahoo and Microsoft board rooms that lies through Stanford University.
Although it’s unlikely that they were classmates because of their age disparities, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, 37, could have a personal connection to Microsoft Directors Reed Hastings, 46, and David F Marquardt, 58, through Stanford’s alumni organization or one of the University’s other social networks.
Anyone of these personal connections that the Map depicts could serve as a conduit for keeping the talks between Yahoo and Microsoft on life support.
Click here for an interactive and fuller version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map.
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