Microsoft is up to $40.5 billion in cash... what do you think their plans are for that $$$ ?

[glenn1]

Ho hum. Just another financial quarter for Microsoft, another $2 billion in cash added to the balance sheet. They're up to $40.5 billion now.

Now, to my mind, a company that generates that massive a cash hoard must have some plans to do something with the money, a business objective to use it for. Without getting into a flame war about operating systems, open vs. closed source, or anything else other than Microsoft as a business concern, what do you think MSFT has planned for all that loot?

 

[db]

Buy Baja and turn into a geek resort.

 

[Doggiedog]

They are saving to buy Africa so they can evade paying US income taxes.

 

[UNCjigga]

Excellent! I am happy that my underlings are performing so nicely with their 'legal' operations. muahahaaahahaaa!

 

[Desslok]

Intel has the same levels of cash reserves.

 

[Stealth1024]

Starts the world's best Computer Science / Computer Engineering College where the only language allowed is Visual Studio.NET

Image the pirate police going dorm to dorm to see who has that illegal MS game they burned off someone two minutes earlier...

 

[Stealth1024]

Wait a second, instead of buying a country, why not launch a huge space station where they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and not be subject to any laws! lol.

 

[tcsenter]

Simple, take over the world! AHahahhahaha!

I was going to say they should put a chunk of it into enhancing employee bennies but from what I understand the bennies at Microsoft like pension plans and stuff are already pretty damned good.

 

[Adul]

their plan is to have enough operating revenue to outlast any time that they might not make money for extended peroids of time.I think they can go 5 - 10 years without making a dime. Basicly it is one big ass cushion to sit on for that just in case type of thing.

 

[Electrode]

1. Perfect cloning and growth acceleration
2. Create a clone army (attack of the clones style)
3. Take over Africa as a sort of test run, and to replenish their somewhat low cash reserves
4. Take over the rest of the world
5. Destroy the world

 

[Stealth1024]

Why Africa when Canada is so much closer and so vulnerable, heck the US could take them over with a few hundred special ops soldiers since even their citizens don't have guns due to their socialist laws

 

[XZeroII]

You do realize that is cash and short term investments, right? It's pretty liquid, but it's not like they have that much in a checking account somewhere.

 

[wyvrn]

Yeah only a fool would put that cash in a non-interest account. Microsoft is not stupid, they know the economy has its ups and downs and they also know open source is gaining share in the desktop market, albeit slowly. It's a hedge in case they have to revamp their marketing philosophy in case another company or open source ever catches them.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: Desslok
Intel has the same levels of cash reserves.

I had not heard that, but I imagine Intel probably has significantly higher R&D costs as well, so it would make sense for them to have such huge cash reserves, I think MS just doesn't wanna have to pay dividends..

 

[FrancesBeansRevenge]

What to do with the money: have Linus Torvalds rubbed out and build a glorious monument in Seattle in tribute to and celebration of the Microsoft empire and American capatilist dominance in general.
What not to do with the money: anything philanthropic.

 

dump 5 billion on a HUGE console... wait-a-minute!!!

 

[guyver01]

only 40.5??? i told bill he better have 45.5 for me by the end of the year, or those photos go to the public...:disgust:

 

[SuperCyrix]

Microsoft worry about another OS? It would be pretty difficult for other
OS to overcome the problem of software and driver support. Microsoft has already flooded the
market with Win98, 98se, 2000, Me, and XP. It would be such a pain in the @ss providing enough support
for the Microsoft OSs and another platform at the same time.

 

[Lucky]

What not to do with the money: anything philanthropic.

hahahah i hope that's a joke. the amount of money that bill gates and microsoft have given away is so much its...not even funny.

 

[Jhill]

I think hthey are saving up that much so soon they can give most of it to charity and still have enough money to give us all free OS'es. After all, Microsoft is looking out for us right?

 

[AaronP]

their plan is to win every no-limit poker game that exists.

 

[smp]

Originally posted by: Stealth1024
Why Africa when Canada is so much closer and so vulnerable, heck the US could take them over with a few hundred special ops soldiers since even their citizens don't have guns due to their socialist laws

I have a gun. You ever come up to Canada I'll be sure to do some target practice on that pee sized brain of your's.

 

[gwlam12]

paying their employees

 

[ChefJoe]

I dunno, down economy... having cash assests is good.
From what I hear, they're on a hiring blitzcreig ?sp? as they try to pick up all the good people they can from a down tech economy.

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: Desslok
Intel has the same levels of cash reserves.

Actually, I believe Intel has "only" about 18 billion in the bank.