Five reasons why Microsoft should not have acquired LinkedIn

Acquiring LinkedIn could be a huge risk for Microsoft. Just imagine the next time you log-in to LinkedIn being asked to upgrade to Windows 10 first, or to see your whole LinkedIn feed disappear, only to realise it's been dumped into the new LinkedIn Clutter folder?

Enough of the dreaming, here's our top five reasons why Microsoft should not have acquired LinkedIn.

5. Burning a hole in your pocket much?

The first reaction most people will have when they hear the news is 'Wow', as if to say 'What a great deal'. But this is quickly followed by a gasp and an 'Are you crazy?' because of the astonishing sum Microsoft is paying for LinkedIn.

Eight years ago LinkedIn was worth just over $1bn (£508m), according to the company's then chief executive Dan Nye, and Microsoft was supposedly sniffing around the social media network even then.

Several rumours continued to circle about companies buying LinkedIn, including News Corp, but none suggested that any company would be daft enough to pay $26bn for the ‘professional' social network.

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• Topics
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• LinkedIn
• Microsoft
• in-depth