Personal Connections Could Serve to Keep Any Yahoo-News Corp Talks Going

(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) -- While some media outlets question the feasibility of serious discussions between Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NYSE: NWS) and Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO), some evidence does exist that shows personal connections between the two companies.

NewsVisual created an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map that shows two distinct sets of personal connections between Yahoo and News Corp.

News Corp Director John L Thornton has a once-removed connection to Yahoo President Susan Decker through the Intel Corp, where both Decker and Thornton currently serve as members of its Board of Directors. 

Therefore, it’s extremely likely that they have a strong personal connection and that they would be a conduit for initiating discussions between the Yahoo and News Corp.

The second connection is a more indirect one through Softbank Corp.

The News Corp Executive Partner Matthew Hill, who is partnered through News Corp through News Limited, has a once-removed connection to Yahoo Director and Softbank Corp Managing Partner Eric Hippeau.

 
The Knowledge Map indicates that Hill has previous experience as a Director of the online-customer-relationship company Message Media, which is a joint venture between Softbank and News Limited.

Hippeau and Hill could know each other via this axis, but there is no clear timeframe for Hill’s involvement with Softbank.

Still, these two sets of personal connections establish a rationale as to why the rumor of a deal between Yahoo and News Corp could be probable.

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).

Click here for an interactive version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map.