eBay Buys Skype for $4.1 Billion

[Vargas]

[news=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=860yBy1DZswJ&imgurl=www.kashar.net/newspics/skeype.jpg]eBay and Skype are in the final stages of this deal and would cost as much as $4.1 billion, "if Skype hits certain performance targets between now and 2008." Niklas and Janus, Skype's founders, will receive $1.3 billion in cash, $1.3 billion in stock, and $1.5 billion in rewards, guaranteeing that most of Skype's staff will stick around.

Source: http://news.designtechnica.com/article8293.html[/news]

[RealitY]

I heard rumors awhile back about Skpe being sold though I dont think it was ebay that was mentioned at the time...

[prae]

that amount of money is unbelievable!

[abu_has_the_power]

holy shit! does that mean skype will still function as a separate voip? ebay better not corrupt it

[JunkBarMan]

eBay will use Skype in manner that will allow their higher end customers to talk to potential buyers.

They seem to be focusing the use of this technology in the areas of real estate, car sales, jewelry and other high cost items. It will be like google's "pay per click", only it will be "pay per call", at least this is what I have heard one analyst say.

Word on the street is that eBay over payed by a fortune for this company. Skype has an annual earnings in the neighborhood of $60 million.

[tracydani]

I think they paid for the potential, not the current value. They are claiming 150,000 new users a day so if true, ebay stands to make some money.