In a letter to Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock, Yang wrote that he wanted "to pursue other interests." He added that he was enthusiastic about Scott Thompson as CEO.
The reality is that Yang should have gone years ago. In fact, Yang's decision to turn down an offer from Microsoft in 2009 was a fatal management move that was nearly impossible to recover from. Yang infamously turned down a $31 a share, or $44.6 billion, offer from Microsoft. He should have left 10 minutes after screwing that Microsoft deal up.
Now what?
Yang's resignation could set up a more dramatic restructuring at Yahoo that could revamp the company. The departure of Yang also gives Yahoo more time to think through its next move. Yang was too emotionally tied to the company he co-founded. With Yang gone, Yahoo can better pursue a few options that may have clashed with its co-founder. Among them:
The afterhours movement in Yahoo shares---up 3 percent---tells you Yang's departure is welcome but there are doubts about the company's turnaround prospects.
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