Paragon
Member #42 if by Bus
Is that all Vertical Scope does?
considering they likely have very few actual employees, i'd believe it. aren't they just an arm, er, shell, of another media conglomerate?
130 employees according to https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/13223-62#overview
Glassdoor has some interesting comments
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/VerticalScope-Reviews-E485412.htm
Torstar aquired a 56% stake in 2005 for 200 Million
45 employees, I think. For the number of forums they zombied, that number seems low.
Is that all Vertical Scope does?
It's not about the ad revenue. It's about controlling information dissemination. That's what Alphabet does. That's what the big social networks do. How do you think the venture capital guys who funded that feel about spending hundreds of millions to buy up all the forums just to generate 6 million in revenue before expenses?
How much of Pirate now uses Facebook since VS bought out PBB? Now ask yourself how many would still be on PBB instead of locked out for their email change?
"whoops, sorry all your data got hacked. We're just a foreign company, you litigious hosers."
-VS :caugh: Torstar :caugh:
Seriously, this isn't even conspiracy. It's just multi-national corporatism. Look at how companies like Monsanto behave. All of the media conglomerates were in charge of all the information we all recieve about the present. That's a huge amount of power and influence. You don't think those media conglomerates are making sure they still have a roll to play?
Think about the demographic that frequents automotive forums. That's probably one of the most valuable subcategory in the population. It would be a shame if they lost their freedom space in the internet where nobody could control what they said, how they shared knowledge, and what products they used their money on.
I honestly don't think it is that complex. I really do think it is sheer incompetence. it's like Richard Rawlings making millions doing his shit TV show. i mean, hell, good for him for making millions i guess.
I really think this is just a fun way that VS is using venture capital money to get hookers and blow. just that simple
WTF????
Dude, everything comes down to money. The Toronto Star is not some huge multinational conglomerate. They are a fucking decal on the size of someone like Monsanto.
It's about the money and if that $6M is accurate, that's not a lot of money for the headache. Granted, print media companies have been look for new revenue for 15 years, but I just assumed their share would be more with 600+ sites owned.
WTF????
Dude, everything comes down to money. The Toronto Star is not some huge multinational conglomerate. They are a fucking decal on the size of someone like Monsanto.
It's about the money and if that $6M is accurate, that's not a lot of money for the headache. Granted, print media companies have been look for new revenue for 15 years, but I just assumed their share would be more with 600+ sites owned.
Some interesting reading (and purchase prices) in here...
https://www.theadminzone.com/threads/verticalscope.39544/
It's a venture capital parking space. There is so much goddamned money out there, has been since the first dot.com bust 2000-2002. That's why corporate bailouts right now are an obscenity. There's more than enough capital out there to bailout cruise lines, airlines, and casinos.
VS doesn't have to do anything but keep a legal accounting system.
In short, it's a tax shelter and capital movement vehicle. Money laundering for non-gangsters. There's a million companies like this, I worked for one. Usually they are in the Information economy because the it has a traditionally very high level of value to revenue ratio. Federal regulators tend to believe it's possible for a company like Facebook to be worth several dozen billion dollars but show no profit.
So VS hiding a few hundred million is nothing.
PBB was the hair on the mole on the ass of the tick in the armpit of Capital.
It's a venture capital parking space. There is so much goddamned money out there, has been since the first dot.com bust 2000-2002. That's why corporate bailouts right now are an obscenity. There's more than enough capital out there to bailout cruise lines, airlines, and casinos.
VS doesn't have to do anything but keep a legal accounting system.
In short, it's a tax shelter and capital movement vehicle. Money laundering for non-gangsters. There's a million companies like this, I worked for one. Usually they are in the Information economy because the it has a traditionally very high level of value to revenue ratio. Federal regulators tend to believe it's possible for a company like Facebook to be worth several dozen billion dollars but show no profit.
So VS hiding a few hundred million is nothing.
PBB was the hair on the mole on the ass of the tick in the armpit of Capital.
It's a venture capital parking space. There is so much goddamned money out there, has been since the first dot.com bust 2000-2002. That's why corporate bailouts right now are an obscenity. There's more than enough capital out there to bailout cruise lines, airlines, and casinos.
VS doesn't have to do anything but keep a legal accounting system.
In short, it's a tax shelter and capital movement vehicle. Money laundering for non-gangsters. There's a million companies like this, I worked for one. Usually they are in the Information economy because the it has a traditionally very high level of value to revenue ratio. Federal regulators tend to believe it's possible for a company like Facebook to be worth several dozen billion dollars but show no profit.
So VS hiding a few hundred million is nothing.
PBB was the hair on the mole on the ass of the tick in the armpit of Capital.
not even close
They're not hiding shit. They spent more than 200 million. They're not in the business of giving money away to community owners for a tax write off.
not even close
I can't imagine they (the board) are living like 'the poors' moving that money around. Their product is the acquisitions and then the sales of the ad 'space' to places with obscene budgets who can't control their money. Dedicated sub forums on 600 boards with 0 posts? How much do you think that costs, as a direct writeoff to jim bobs cousin to manage?
Look, I hang out with super rich jet owning people who chum around at the upper levels. I know a lot of people who lose money on horses for a write off. I get how it works. This is not how they do it.
People who have fuck you money don't care about the money. It becomes about conquest. The purpose of life is to compete. We're all here to carve out our peice. Technology has allowed those who wield it to conquer more than ever.
I believe your wrong on this one. What EN is saying makes alot more sense than your giving credit for. Think about it for a minute...
I cant believe I just posted that!
I have no idea of what you refer to as VS hiding a few hundred million and I don't think this is a tax shelter.
I think it was a sweetheart deal that was likely designed to shield cash from investors after torstar sold off a romance novel division.
The acquisition multiple paid by Torstar is approximately 12 times VerticalScope's trailing adjusted EBITDA and 10 times VerticalScope's expected forward adjusted EBITDA. Torstar's investment has been financed from its cash resources.
Torstar has acquired ABRY Partners' minority interest in VerticalScope along with more than one third of the shares held by the continuing shareholders, with whom Torstar will share control. The aggregate consideration paid by Torstar was $200 million based upon an enterprise value of $404 million
Look I'm not saying Torstar or VS is doing anything shady and it's a legit front.
People with loads of money can't just pile it in a vault and dive in every once in a while. The government is going to come and take it. You can either park it in a Trust like the Fords, in which case you're 'stuck' with what that Trust is, or you can pay mega taxes on it because it just won't stop making fucking money no matter what you do, or you can invest it in a company. If you put the money to work, taxes are much easier and you have a decent amount of liquidity which Trusts don't afford.
You can position your investments in everything from Real Estate, which can be quite hard to withdraw from, all the way to super VC shit like Shark Tank. They diversify.
Companies in Information are very attractive because there are no 'real' assets, and so someone like Mitt 'Fuck the Working Man' Romney won't come along and buy your company, fire everyone, liquidate the Pensions, and sell off the machines. That's Mitt's literal family business. There's a roll for that. It's a scum-scuking asshole-licking role, but there is one, and Mitt's family licks those assholes.
No, instead you invest it in a company which has intangible assets like Intellectual Property. You can also patent-troll, do Biotech (the VC-parking company I worked for just happened to serve a lot of Biotech... hmmm.....), and other non-tangible assets. Like, say, owning a perpetual-interest sharing space like Automotive Interest. Or, Vertical Scopalomine.
That way you can pretty much decide what the company is worth.
VS very much looks like one of those types of companies. I had that impression when they bought out Lance, and I have that impression now.
Nothing I'm saying is in any way Conspiracy Theory or speculation. This is literally how it's done.
There is an absolute fuckload of cash out there and it has to go somewhere. You can't just pay taxes to make welfare-recipients even fucking fatter, I guess unless you also invest in Beetus supplies and the like....
Look I'm not saying Torstar or VS is doing anything shady and it's a legit front.
People with loads of money can't just pile it in a vault and dive in every once in a while. The government is going to come and take it. You can either park it in a Trust like the Fords, in which case you're 'stuck' with what that Trust is, or you can pay mega taxes on it because it just won't stop making fucking money no matter what you do, or you can invest it in a company. If you put the money to work, taxes are much easier and you have a decent amount of liquidity which Trusts don't afford.
You can position your investments in everything from Real Estate, which can be quite hard to withdraw from, all the way to super VC shit like Shark Tank. They diversify.
Companies in Information are very attractive because there are no 'real' assets, and so someone like Mitt 'Fuck the Working Man' Romney won't come along and buy your company, fire everyone, liquidate the Pensions, and sell off the machines. That's Mitt's literal family business. There's a roll for that. It's a scum-scuking asshole-licking role, but there is one, and Mitt's family licks those assholes.
No, instead you invest it in a company which has intangible assets like Intellectual Property. You can also patent-troll, do Biotech (the VC-parking company I worked for just happened to serve a lot of Biotech... hmmm.....), and other non-tangible assets.
That way you can pretty much decide what the company is worth.
VS very much looks like one of those types of companies. I had that impression when they bought out Lance, and I have that impression now.
Nothing I'm saying is in any way Conspiracy Theory or speculation. This is literally how it's done.
There is an absolute fuckload of cash out there and it has to go somewhere. You can't just pay taxes to make welfare-recipients even fucking fatter, I guess unless you also invest in Beetus supplies and the like....