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Exclusive: Groupon Prices at $20 a Share; More Than 10x Oversubscribed, So It Adds 5M More Shares

Kara Swisher in News on November 3, 2011 at 3:51 pm PT

Despite all the controversy and criticism, the daily deals site is not going out into the public markets at a discount.

Uh-Oh: Groupon Loses New COO, Who’s Going Back to Google

Kara Swisher in News on September 23, 2011 at 1:54 pm PT

In a blog it just posted, Groupon said its recently hired COO, Margo Georgiadis, “has decided to return to Google (her former employer) in a new role as President, Americas.” She was hired in April, only months before the company filed to go public.

Google Cries Bing and Yelp Yelps, as Senate Antitrust Hearings Commence Today

Kara Swisher in Media on September 21, 2011 at 12:59 am PT

Giant Google is scared of tiny Bing — no, really. Or so its chairman could say later today.

Groupon Doesn’t Care if You Got the Memo

Kara Swisher in Commerce on August 30, 2011 at 7:30 am PT

Didn’t you get the memo? Because it’s all in the raspberry of a memo the social buying site sent out to — well, everyone — last week.

Exclusive: Groupon’s Mason Tells Troops in Feisty Internal Memo: “It Looks Good.”

Kara Swisher in Commerce on August 25, 2011 at 3:02 pm PT

Facing a barrage of negative press about its upcoming IPO, Groupon CEO and co-founder Andrew Mason took up a pen to counter critics of the social buying service in a pugnacious email to employees.

Viral Video: The CGI in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Raises Big Box Office

Kara Swisher in Media on August 8, 2011 at 2:41 am PT

Take your stinking paws off me, you damned cash-generating ape movie.

If Google Buys Groupon, It'd Be a Windfall for Investors, Bankers…and Regulators?

Kara Swisher in News on November 29, 2010 at 5:33 am PT

If Google does manage to close the deal to buy Groupon–acquisition discussions flagged by BoomTown 10 days ago–it will be at a cost that is likely to be much more than the $2.5 billion price tag being floated in the latest batch of rumors. It’s not just that the deal will likely come in at a higher number, which will mean a big payoff for investors and bankers involved. It’s because as soon as it purchases the social group buying phenom, the search giant will be buying a whole lot of pricey regulatory scrutiny too.

Google Turns Its Local Eyes to Groupon–But Who Else Could Enter Bidding?

Kara Swisher in News on November 19, 2010 at 12:38 am PT

According to multiple sources close to the situation, Google is in discussions with local deals powerhouse Groupon about buying it. Without making the requisite joke about the deal of the day, sources said the price being considered is certainly no discount–well above the $2 billion to $3 billion that Yahoo offered Groupon in acquisition talks that took place earlier this year. But sources cautioned that the talks are not complete, and could also end up without any result, as the Yahoo discussions did.

Viral Video: Keith Olbermann's Non-Apologetic Apology

Kara Swisher in News on November 10, 2010 at 12:40 am PT

MSNBC cable television host Keith Olbermann was back on the air last night after a short suspension and chatting up a storm–as usual, almost entirely about himself. This time it was supposedly to apologize for handing over some dough in support of a trio of Democratic candidates, which is against NBC ethical guidelines for its news folk. It turned into more of a pat on the back.

VC Ben Horowitz Takes Aim at HP Critics (Are You Listening, Larry and Jack?)

Kara Swisher in News on October 8, 2010 at 4:32 pm PT

Today, in a sharply worded post titled “In Defense of Standards, Ethics, and Honest Financial Reporting at Hewlett-Packard,” prominent venture capitalist Ben Horowitz took to his blog to shoot back at the plethora of critics of the Hewlett-Packard board for their conduct related to the controversial jettisoning of CEO Mark Hurd. Let us just say, the longtime business partner of HP board member Marc Andreessen did not mince words.