EBay plans initial offering for Skype unit - The Boston Globe

An interesting negotiating tactic (with Skype’s co-founders, who reportedly want to acquire the company back from eBay)

EBay Inc., operator of the most-visited US e-commerce site, is planning an initial public offering for its Skype unit, which it bought in 2005 for $2.6 billion.

The IPO is slated for the first half of 2010, though the timing will depend on market conditions, the San Jose, Calif., company said yesterday in a statement. EBay wrote down the value of the acquisition to $1.2 billion in 2007.

EBay plans initial offering for Skype unit - The Boston Globe