Groupon Walks Away From $6B Acquisition by Google

The Chicago Tribune reported today that Groupin has walked away fron a $6B acquisition by Google.

Groupon has  over 35M users and offers coupons for local markets, which you can see on the left side of this screen.

This would have been the biggest acquisition by Google, twice as expensive as DoubleClick.

It appears that Groupe has decided on an IPO instead.

Groupon's founder was reportedly concerned about the strategic direction the company would take, about what could happen to merchant relationships and his employees.

Should you accept a $5B cheque or walk away? "Chicagoans Eric Lefkofsky and Andrew Mason of the Internet sensation Groupon Inc. have decided to turn down a multibillion-dollar acquisition offer from Google, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Friday night. They have decided they would prefer to keep Groupon independent" (Chicago Tribune).

What's a Billion these days...