Skip to main content

Twitter reportedly in talks with Google, Salesforce for potential sale

Twitter reportedly in talks with Google, Salesforce for potential sale

Share this story

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Twitter is reportedly in conversation with a number of tech companies for a potential sale. According to CNBC, the social company is in talks with the likes of Google and cloud computing company Salesforce, among others, and may receive a formal bid soon.

Twitter may receive a formal bid soon, but there's no assurance that a deal will be made

The suiters courting Twitter are said to be interested in the data the company generates from its 313 million active users. However, sources say that, while conversations are ongoing and picking up steam, there's no assurance that a deal will be inked. As a result, Twitter's stocks have soared as high as 23 percent based on the news. Meanwhile, TechCrunch reports that the company has just lost two key staffers, including head of TV Andrew Adashek.

Twitter's board of directors are reportedly bullish on the idea of a future sale. That makes sense: though the company has pumped resources into new efforts like social video, its user growth has stalled and revenue has fallen in the two years since CEO Jack Dorsey took the helm. With a turnaround now looking less and less likely, murmurs of a takeover have ramped up in recent months. When board member and co-founder Ev Williams told Bloomberg last month that the company would "consider the right options" with regard to an acquisition, Twitter's stock jumped 5 percent. In the end, a deal by the end of the year could be the social company's saving grace.

Update 10:30am ET: TechCrunch reports that Verizon has also expressed interest in acquiring Twitter, even as it prepares to buy Yahoo.