Tongues wag that Softbank's Son may sell Arm to Samsung

SoftBank mogul Masayoshi Son reportedly plans to meet executives at Samsung Electronics in Seoul to discuss a partnership between the Japanese mega-conglomerate's Arm subsidiary and the South Korean foundry giant. According to Bloomberg, Son, during his first visit to Korea in three years, intends to discuss a “strategic …

[nautica]

I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

"We get the slight sense that SoftBank wants shot of Arm."

What, PRECISELY, does "wants shot" mean?

[3arn0wl]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

It means, to offload. To be rid of. As if holding something undesirable that you want to pass along quickly.

---

I can't imagine that Samsung (or any other competitor company on its own) would be a satisfactory solution to the rest of the industry, for exactly the same reasons that the Nvidia deal wasn't palatable.

The only satisfactory idea, is the one Qualcomm had: of all the ARM-design companies having a stake in Arm. And the easiest way for that to happen, is to put the ISA into a Foundation.

Trouble is : Mr. Son wants his money back...

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

Wants [to get] rid of.

Personally I'd say "shut" rather than "shot" but i suspect it's one of those pronunciations that varies across the UK.

[sniperpaddy]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

It may be pronounced "shut" in Newcastle but it is still spelt "shot". i certainly won't spell "drawring" in London.

[diodesign]

Language easter egg

It's Brit slang for 'get rid of'. It's just a Google away.

C.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Language easter egg

But it should be "get shut of" other search engines are available

Get "shot of" is an Americanism, perhaps their love of guns is getting the better of them?

[diodesign]

Wrong

Nah mate, get shot. US, UK, who cares. No one I know uses 'shut'. That sounds norvven to me. Like Newcastle.

C.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Wrong

<sweeney voice=on> shut it you slag </sweeeney voice off> ?

>Like Newcastle.

Very brave from down in London .....

[Martin]

Re: Wrong

Different words, though.

Shut it simply means shut your mouth (or shut yr maarf in Sarf Lunnon)

And it's definitely "get shot of", not "get shut of"...

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Wrong

"No one I know uses 'shut'. That sounds norvven to me. Like Newcastle."

Newcastle? Tha're movin' i't'wrong circles lad.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Language easter egg

Concise OED lists this use of both shot & shut as "informal" rather than slang.

[martinusher]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

Its an English expression, its origins go back a long way and have absolutely nothing to do with guns. Its a bit like saying "I wash my hands of XXXX" only more material than personal.

As an aside, I've been plodding away trying to learn a foreign language for some time. What I've learned so far in my studies is that I am so grateful that I'm a native English speaker (that's real English, not the subset used in most of America) because there's no way I would have been able to learn it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

@martinusher

Pretty sure even native english speakers had to learn it at some point - you're not born knowing a language. Lots easier to learn when you are young though.

[werdsmith]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

To hear someone say “get shot of” something, or “wants shot of” takes me back to my childhood. One of those expressions that is less used nowadays. I am going to start using it again.

[Michael Habel]

Re: I don't have this language in my "localization" settings.

Slang, To be rid of...

[aerogems]

Not going to end well

If there was enough regulatory scrutiny to scuttle the nvidia deal, why would anyone expect Samsung to be any different?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Not going to end well

Well ARM is described as the Switzerland of CPUs, equally fair to everyone.

Samsung is the Northern Ireland of CPUs, generally viciously at war with other bits of Samsung.

[BOFH in Training]

Re: Not going to end well

Maybe some company which does not have an ARM licence, does not compete in the ARM landscape can buy it. I don't think Samsung will be allowed to buy ARM, just like Nvidia was not allowed. Same issues.

Can't think of many large companies which may be able to afford about 60B bucks and not involved with ARM directly currently.

Maybe something like Caterpillar, or other large companies which are not too involved in IT will work will be allowed to buy ARM, assuming they want to enter this industry.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Not going to end well

"Can't think of many large companies which may be able to afford about 60B bucks and not involved with ARM directly currently."

IBM? :-))))

(I imagine they ARE involved with ARM in some way, but none that I am aware of)

[Lordrobot]

Does anyone actually trust this little man?

Arm to Nvidia = becomes US Tech meaning Blocked Sales to China and others

Arm to IPO in USA = US Tech meaning Blocked Sales to China and others

Arm to Samsung = US Blocking Sales to China and others

There is only one logical choice of a country that is not presently being manipulated by the USA.... CHINER!

Son should sell ARM to CHINER... CHINA will never block the sale of anything. That's not their book... Money is Chiner's book. A Perfect match...

[3arn0wl]

Re: Does anyone actually trust this little man?

Given the current tech trade dispute, I can't see that being allowed to happen, can you?

[StrangerHereMyself]

Won't fly

A sale isn't going to fly with competition authorities, especially in the U.S. where Apple will almost certainly cry foul.

Softbank will eventually come to the conclusion that ARM is unsalable and they can only float it on the stock market.

[katrinab]

Re: Won't fly

Or they could sell it to another private equity fund.

That definitely wouldn’t be a good idea, but it could happen.

[StrangerHereMyself]

Re: Won't fly

They're not going to pay what Samsung's willing to pay. Softbank wants a hefty premium on its investment and no private equity fund is willing to pay that.

[EnviableOne]

The ownly option

public company owned by no-one in particular

or co-operative owned by all its licence holders.

unless someone in a totally unrelated business wants to shell out for it

Thoma Bravo, Berkshire Hathaway or someone of that ilk.

or it could be a complete odd ball like Associated British Foods ownership of Primark

and see someone like Coca-Cola, Disney or McDonald's buy it up from Masayoshi Son

[Michael Habel]

Ok what makes Samsung any better of a pick than nVidia. Whom you are either free to like or not?

[pimppetgaeghsr]

He should have just IPOd in 2021 instead of wasting 18 months chasing a DOA deal to NVIDIA.

Those market conditions on the back of the pandemic with low interest rates were once in a lifetime.