Twitter Is Said to Be Discussing a Possible Takeover – New York Times

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Twitter Moving Closer to Sale

"Twitter has received expressions of interest from a number of technology companies," said David Faber of CNBC, including from Salesforce.com and Google.

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The social network site Twitter is talking with Salesforce.com, Google and others over a possible takeover of the company, people briefed on the discussions said on Friday.

The discussions are in the early stages, these people said, and there is no guarantee that a deal will be reached.

At the same time, Twitter is weighing a possible revamping of the company that could involve divestitures and layoffs. The company is working with the investment banks Goldman Sachs and Allen & Company on its options.

Twitter, which has 313 million users worldwide, is considering such transformative steps as it wrestles with a slowdown in its growth.

Shares of Twitter, which is based in San Francisco, surged after CNBC reported that the company had received takeover interest. In afternoon trading on Friday, Twitter's shares were up nearly 20 percent.

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Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Twitter, in Sun Valley, Idaho, in July. Credit Drew Angerer/Getty Images

That pushed its market value up to $ 16 billion, its highest level since early January. Nonetheless, the stock was trading below the price at which Twitter went public — $ 26 a share — in November 2013.

A representative for Twitter declined to comment.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We do not comment on rumors and speculation," said a Salesforce spokeswoman, Jane Hynes.

Since its splashy debut on the public markets, Twitter has struggled to grow while battling competition from rivals old and new. Facebook — and its suite of offerings like Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger — has continued to outpace Twitter in user growth and profitability, while the five-year-old Snapchat has become the newest darling of the social media world.

Lack of growth has begun to eat away at advertiser demand, which had remained robust even as Twitter's overall number of users stagnated. Advertisers aiming for big audiences tended to choose Facebook, while those looking for younger audiences have the option of Snapchat.

Twitter has begun a turnaround effort built on video and live streaming video in the hopes that users will flock to the service to watch sporting events and news.