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Creative Accounting ...
I've read a lot of interesting documents about Microsoft and their employee stock purchase plans which I assume is what you were reading about.

I've sent emails to the authors and then took their comments to a guy I know who used to be a CFO to a major company ($380 million annual) where I live to confirm my suspicions.

The suspicions are unfounded, much to my surprise because I was sure that the articles were written with accuracy.

I cannot remember the exact reasons, but all that stock owned by all those employees has a book value and an actual worth, which are two different numbers. If I'm an employee buying stock at $40/share because the street price of the share at the time of purchase is $40/share, it doesn't mean that the stock is worth $40/share. It's worth whatever I can get for it.

If Microsoft goes down in price, to say $20/share and I sell my stock, I'll get $20/share even though the book value is $40. On the books, the employees might own $500 billion in Microsoft even though the company is worth $300 billion.

If there was something to the accusations you?d hear more about it. It isn?t a ?conspiracy? to cover up the truth, but rather people who know enough about accounting to put their foot in their mouth and look foolish.
Posted by: George Jay   Posted on: 01/28/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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I wonder.....  Ployd_Farker | 01/28/04
Mike Cox is having lunch with his MS rep  Taz_z | 01/28/04
In Aspen?  IT_User | 01/28/04
Nope...He cant be  nite_w0lf | 01/28/04
LOL(nt)  el1jones | 01/28/04
It won't be  Squawkbox | 01/28/04
Oh...  BitTwiddler | 01/28/04
And this means what?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/28/04
You must have missed this part  Taz_z | 01/28/04
Taz, Taz...  Martin Marvinski | 01/29/04
Nice stretch...  Patrick Jones | 01/28/04
false sense of security  stephen732@... | 01/28/04
Hey, you always seem to listen to the linux polls  Bobby Sskcat | 01/28/04
Are there such polls?  IT_User | 01/28/04
1/10 say SCO Impacts Adoption of Linux  David Mohring | 01/29/04
That small businesses lack resources  IT_User | 01/28/04
I tend to agree on that IT_User.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/28/04
And this means what?  NoB$ | 01/28/04
Does this bother you for some reason?  voska | 01/28/04
It may be an indicator  doctormoriarty | 01/29/04
Y  Martin Marvinski | 01/29/04
Y  Martin Marvinski | 01/29/04
We'll see.  John L. Ries | 01/29/04
More cracks in the MS shell  nite_w0lf | 01/28/04
Microsoft is dying?  George Jay | 01/28/04
Of course..where have you been?  Bobby Sskcat | 01/28/04
...meanwhile, back in reality...  LightningShrike | 01/28/04
Re: Innovation  Rabid Conservative | 01/30/04
I hate to burst your bubble  George Jay | 01/28/04
rome  Rembrandt Pussyhorse | 01/28/04
Smooth Talk?  AbsolutelyNot | 01/28/04
And for every smart company like yours ...  George Jay | 01/28/04
You're not seeing the big picture.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 01/28/04
You're not seeing the big picture  George Jay | 01/29/04
Re: New Product  Rabid Conservative | 01/30/04
Enron was showing excellent profitability  km4hr@... | 01/28/04
Creative Accounting ...  George Jay | 01/28/04
It's not just the license fees....  Jose Jimenez | 01/28/04
BSA tactics backfiring...  rkhalloran | 01/28/04
The BSA, Microsoft and the definition of Extortion  David Mohring | 01/29/04
I find many  JWatson77 | 01/28/04
yes but...  stephen732@... | 01/28/04
Too Bad  Bobby Sskcat | 01/28/04
I expect we'll see a survey soon to contradict this one  George Jay | 01/28/04
Full Contradiction  agramont@... | 01/29/04
Microsoft Stole a $10 DomainName from a 17 Year Old...  claytonmuhler | 01/28/04
Um, no they didn't...  BitTwiddler | 01/28/04
The original lawsuit threat was a knee-jerk reaction  AbsolutelyNot | 01/28/04
Free Training for MS Product = A Bad Addiction  brenthawkinsmd | 01/29/04
Re: Um, no they didn't...  Rabid Conservative | 01/30/04
Incorect terminology  nite_w0lf | 01/28/04
innovation  LightningShrike | 01/28/04
Although...  Bobby Sskcat | 01/28/04
Standards don't innovate...  IT_User | 01/28/04
That's close, but not quite correct  George Jay | 01/28/04
re: innovation  dwest_z | 01/28/04
LOL  Bobby Sskcat | 01/28/04
Linux innovation  paul@... | 01/28/04
Like Corel and Lotus Smartsuite  FilledOut | 01/30/04
you have it all wrong  ryusen | 01/28/04
Wary, maybe. Weary, definitely  Franklin_z | 01/28/04
They should be wary...  nograin | 01/28/04
Doesn't tell the whole story  Chad_z | 01/28/04
I agree...  nograin | 01/28/04
Advantage, big business  IT_User | 01/28/04
I would bet on small and medium business  el1jones | 01/28/04
Yes, I remember that  IT_User | 01/28/04
Remember the "LAN story"  Xunil_Sierutuf | 01/28/04
I long for the day...  wease2000 | 01/28/04
My rep is closing business left and right..  Mike Cox | 01/29/04
Typo?  Robert Crocker | 01/29/04
Ah, you beat me to it! (NT)  IT_User | 01/29/04
Most welcome evidence...  FederalistPaperBoy | 01/29/04
I'm particularly wary...  Yen_z | 01/29/04
no ax to grind - no comment on this one  cvos | 01/29/04

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