Is Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB bid timed to perfection?
It is now common knowledge that Rupert Murdoch has approached the board of BSkyB to increase his News Corp. stake from 39% to 100% and take full control of the company. At this point in time it is uncertain whether he will return with a higher offer, after his initial offer was rebuffed by the BSkyB board of directors, but many believe his timing is perfect with a new coalition government in place and uncertainty and confusion regarding potential new takeover rules.
This is certain to be a test of David Cameron's ability to manage the economy and manage the business arena with the previous government adamant that overseas takeovers will experience more hurdles than ever before in the future. However, can David Cameron really afford to step into what is effectively a free market and start to dictate the future?
When you also take into account that the man in question is Rupert Murdoch, perhaps one of the most influential and most powerful people on this earth, David Cameron and his coalition partners may well have met their match. It will be interesting to see whether Rupert Murdoch comes back with a higher offer, as many in the city expect, or whether he will walk away and play hardball in the knowledge that he has 39% of the company already.
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