Rupert Murdoch is considering a £500 million deal to buy corporate networking site LinkedIn, according to yesterday’s Sunday Express. The UK paper said that preliminary talks between the News Corporation chief executive and LinkedIn CEO Dan Nye began three weeks ago. However, last week Nye said that offers would not be considered unless they were in excess of $1 billion, which happens to be £486 million. This is just the latest in a long line of stories on this matter.
I’d be more excited about this potential confirmation of my original story (the one which kicked off all the follow-up reports) were it not for the fact that only the Sunday Express, possibly one of least heavy-weight UK Sunday newspapers, is confirming it. But it seems that there are just too many other media outlets turning up this story at the moment for it not to have validity.
Hey Mike, putting my “BBC Journalism” hat on for a moment, are you sure that the Sunday Express is in itself a primary source for this story…?
It strikes me they could merely be reposting either you or the same source you got the tip from and this could all be an echo chamber…?
Also, I’m curious as to why this is in TCUK… If *you* have the scoop, are you not able to cross-post to TC.com?
(Disclosure, I currently provide consultancy to a Murdoch owned company – however I know nothing about this rumor and am not placed to)
Hi Ben, yes on reflection this is probably an ‘echo chamber’ item, and FYI, the original story was also posted to TC US.
The deal doesn’t surprise me, the fit makes sense. If they agree a price I expect it to go through.
This ben metcalfe guy is a sell out. sad
also why does the link to the ’sunday express’ take me to the CNN money website where the article looks like it was written by a 6 yr old?
@Randomvandal,
I’m sorry you think I’m a ’sell out’. Perhaps you’d care to drop me a line and let me know more.
That’s a really sad thing to say. Let me know, mail {at} benmetcalfe dot com