For some time now there has been news that Twitter is on sale. A number of companies have reportedly been interested in Twitter. Some of those companies that are reportedly interested in it are Google and Apple. Disney is also said to be interested, but new reports state that Disney might pass up on it.
According to The Telegraph Disney won't be pursuing its bid for Twitter anymore. As a result of this news Twitter shares have fallen by a fifth. Another prospective buyer, Google, has also dropped out of the bidding. This leaves Salesforce to be the only one still running for the bidding.
Neither Disney nor Google has openly expressed declarations to take Twitter, though both are said to have hired advisers to look into the matter. Google, in particular, is said to have long been interested with Twitter. Aside from Disney and Google, Recode also reports that Apple has dropped out of the bidding.
With three potential buyers gone, Salesforce is the only one left to go after Twitter. Salesforce has tried to get LinkedIn earlier, but Microsoft beat to it first with a $26 billion deal. Now it is trying out once more in getting another social media network on Twitter.
Twitter though is struggling to keep up with other social media sites, particularly with Facebook. Although it in itself was initially successful, Twitter has been struggling recently as there has been a slowdown in user traffic. Numbers have not reached the same heights as Facebook and even Instagram has.
While Salesforce is left to bid for Twitter, that is still not certain. Shares have dropped for Salesforce since it announced its bid amidst investor concern. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that he is aware of the impact a Twitter acquisition might have on investors. Investor's Business Daily reports that Salesforce shares have risen last Thursday over the prospect of a cheaper deal with Twitter.
Other rumored bidders include AT&T, Comcast, and IBM but so far there has been no confirmation whether the said companies are running to bid. As of now what seems to be clear is that Salesforce is the only one in the bidding, or else there might be no sale at all.
Facebook is said to be toying with the idea of providing free internet for rural areas in the U.S.
