Looks like the whole "BlackBerry for sale" situation just got quite a bit more interesting. Mike Lazaridis, co-founder and former co-CEO of Research In Motion, has revealed in an SEC filing that he's interested in acquiring BlackBerry. Lazaridis and fellow RIM co-founder Doug Fregin have said that they are considering a purchase of the remaining shares of BlackBerry that they don't already own. Combined, the two men hold an eight percent stake in BlackBerry.
In the filing, Lazaridis and Fregin say that they are weighing an acquisition either by themselves or with other interested parties. The pair have hired Goldman, Sachs & Co., Centerview Partners LLC and other advisors to help review their options in regards to the potential purchase of shares.
While BlackBerry has already agreed to be acquired by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited for $4.7 billion, the company is allowed to field other offers during a due diligence period. Should BlackBerry accept another deal, it'll have to pay a termination fee to Fairfax. Right now it's not clear if Lazaridis and Fregin will actually take things that far, but the news that two of BlackBerry's co-founders are even considering making a bid for the company is big. It'll definitely be interesting to see how this one plays out, so stay tuned.
Via CrackBerry, SEC filing