Microsoft Offers $44.6 Billion For Yahoo

In its latest attempt to fend off archrival Google, Microsoft made an unsolicited $44.6 billion bid to acquire the most heavily trafficked site on the web. Maybe Balmer can figure out a better way to monetize Yahoo's traffic than Mr. Yang.

In addition to Yahoo's impressive traffic in the US, its important to note Yahoo is the 900 pound guerilla of the Japanese internet where it enjoys Google-like dominance in terms of search, advertising, auctions, etc. After the US, Japan is arguably the second most important internet marketplace in the world. Although China will pass the US in terms of total internet users in the next few months, Japan is squarely in the #2 spot in terms of internet commerce.