Yes, I’m not working today, but this was too important (you may have to login to get the article) to be ignored. Estimated value? $1.5bn.
Mostly private equity firms are interested and that is interesting for us. When a private equity firm buys a company, they usually split it up and sell off its assets in some way or another. Could make for another aspect to an intriguing year.
Let’s all pass the plate – I’ve got about $20 in my pocket I can contribute.
Why is Getty for sale?
Okay, folks, let’s dream for a moment. Getty’s asking price sure is a lot more than little ole Martha could pay, but what if a group of photographers, photographer organizations, companies that serve photographers pooled their money and bought them?
There’s nothing that says that the asking price will be what Getty ultimately sells for, so what if a cooperative of sorts bought this company and turned it into something that would benefit us, our clients, the purchasers of our stock photos, and the profession.
I’d rather see it go bye-bye. Seriously. It’s a huge amount of work to run a company like that and none of us are administrators of that level. It would just have to go on much as it has been if it was bought out and continued. Bought out, cut up, sold off in pieces and the individuals who license their own stock, and small stock houses (true agencies) have a better chance of getting business. Think Long Tail.
-Leslie
So what do you think Bill Gates thinks of this development? Does anyone have his IM address?