Google, Disney, Apple won't bid for Twitter; stock plummets almost 10 percent

By Rob Thubron on October 6, 2016, 7:30 AM



The last few weeks have been awash with claims that several large companies are showing an interest in buying ailing social network/news site Twitter. The prospect of an acquisition sent the company’s share price soaring, but it seems this may have been slightly premature: all of the former suitors are no longer planning to make a bid for Twitter.

Last month, Disney became the latest company to be linked with a possible Twitter takeover, but Recode reports that although the organization had considered a bid, it won’t be making an offer, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Google has been showing an interest in acquiring Twitter for over a year. Many expected Sundar Pichai’s company to make a move; after the failure of Google+, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Google try to break into social media with an established, if struggling, platform. However, sources close to the situation say Google won’t be moving forward with a bid.

Apple was also thought to be considering an offer, but sources say that Twitter should have “low expectations” of hearing from the iPhone maker. With those three companies all but ruling themselves out, it appeared that cloud computing giant Salesforce was favorite to step in. But Business Insider reports that CEO Marc Benioff doesn’t seem that enthusiastic.

"I think it’s a great brand and I just wish Jack [Dorsey] very well...good on his company, that’s how I look at it today," Benioff said. "We look at everything, and we don’t buy most things, and we haven’t agreed to buy that company [...] it’s an unpolished jewel."

A Bloomberg report claims that the situation is made worse by an internal battle between CEO Jack Dorsey, who wants to keep Twitter independent, and co-founder and board member Ev Williams, who believes selling the firm is the best option. The in-fighting has reportedly led to Chief Financial Officer Anthony Noto seizing de facto control of the company.

All this is bad news for Twitter. Its stock fell more than 9 percent to $22.58 in after-hours trading on the news that it’s struggling to find a buyer.

Disney Considers Bidding to Buy Twitter

It seems highly likely that Twitter is about to be sold off to the highest bidder. And Disney is one of a number of high profile companies bidding to take over the social networking site.

According to Bloomberg, Disney is considering making a bid to buy Twitter. At the moment that means employing financial advisers to pore over the numbers to see whether a bid makes sense. Disney already owns ABC, ESPN, and A&E Network, and has stakes in Hulu and Vice Media, so this makes more sense than it initially seems.

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is on the board of Disney. Which means that Disney has an intimate working relationship with the man who would push through any sale of Twitter.

However, Disney isn’t the only company eyeing up a potential bid for Twitter. CNBC previously reported that Google and Salesforce were interested, and TechCrunch then added Microsoft andVerizon to the list of potential suitors.

Twitter Is Selling Out Regardless

Twitter has been eyeing a potential sale for some time. User numbers have stalled, advertising income continues to disappoint, and the Twitter trolls problem isn’t going away anytime soon. Then there’s the fact that people still don’t understand what Twitter is all about.Tweeting While Female: Harassment, and How Twitter Can Fix It Tweeting While Female: Harassment, and How Twitter Can Fix ItTwitter's abuse problem is real. Here are some examples, along with expert opinion on how Twitter can solve this.READ MORE

With all that in mind, Twitter is primed for a quick sale, and the vultures are now circling overhead. The only question now is which companies will actually make serious bids, and which company will Twitter then choose to work with/for.

It’s easy to think this won’t affect you as a user, but past experience tells us this isn’t the case. Companies DON’T spend money on a whim, but they DO expect a return on their investments. Whichever interested party finally acquires Twitter, the social networking site you use on a daily basis is likely to change as a direct result of this acquisition.

So, fellow Twitter user, do you have a horse in this race? Which company mentioned above would you prefer to see buy Twitter? Please let us know in the comments below.