Going Private

Founders Taking Their Firms Private: A New Wall Street Trend?

Barnes & Noble's Leonard Riggio, Dell's Michael Dell and Best Buy's Richard Schulze each want to save the troubled companies they founded from the pains of publicly traded life. But are their plans powered by sound thinking, or wishful thinking?

Done Deal for Dell: $24.4 Billion Plan to Go Private Finalized

Slumping personal computer maker Dell is selling itself for $24.4 billion to its founder and a group of investors that includes Microsoft. It's the largest deal of its kind since the Great Recession dried up financing for risky maneuvers like this.

What Private-Equity Firms and Vampires Have In Common

The answer: dividend recaps. You see, you may think that when private-equity firms buy troubled companies, their plan is to fix them up and resell them. But often, the real plan is to load the companies up with debt, suck huge sums out of them, and stick the next set of investors with the bill.

Best Buy Buyout Is No Sure Thing

Shares of Best Buy soared Monday after founder Richard Schulze said he wanted to buy the company. In private hands, Best Buy would be able to attempt a turnaround outside of the public limelight, but it won't be easy to get to the fairy tale ending.

Best Buy Founder Offers to Buy Retailer, Take It Private

Best Buy's founder said Monday that he wants to take the electronics retailer private by buying up all of its shares he doesn't already own in a deal that values the company at as much as $8.84 billion. The news sent Best Buy shares up 24 percent in premarket trading.

Liquid Assets: Apollo Buys Indoor Waterpark Leader

Apollo Global Management is shelling out $703 million for Great Wolf Resorts, the leading operator of indoor water park resorts. The $5-a-share offer is better than the stock has seen since 2008, but people who bought it around its 2004 IPO will end up taking a real bath.

M&A Mania: Early 2011 Deals Already Hit a 10-Year High

Companies such as Duke Energy and DuPont are off and running with megamergers early this year. Even Playboy is among the dealers. And market pros say the trend is far from over. Why are so many U.S. companies tying the knot? Fast growth is hard to come by in any other strategy.

Playboy Going Private in Hefner-Backed Buyout

For more than a year, adult entertainment company Playboy Enterprises has been looking for someone to save it, but in the end, its savior came from within. Last July, founder Hugh Hefner offered to take Playboy private, and Monday, the company finally announced that it has agreed to his offer.

Natural Gas Firm Exco Gets $4.4 Billion Offer to Go Private

Natural gas prices have been persistently sluggish lately, but it looks like deal-making is revving up: The latest offer comes from the CEO of Exco Resources, Douglas Miller, who has offered to buy the energy company for $20.50 per share or about $4.4 billion.

China's Harbin Electric Sparks a Buyout Bid From Its CEO

Harbin Electric's CEO and Baring Private Equity Asia Group are proposing taking the Chinese electric motor maker private with a bid of $24 per share, or $752.2 million. It's a notably rare instance of a private equity-backed buyout.

Internet Brands Goes Private, Again

Internet Brands announced Monday that it has agreed to go private at $13.35 per share, giving early investors a juicy 67% return. The company, which operates CarsDirect.com and other consumer sites, went public in 2007.