Apple, Amazon, Google join bidding for Toshiba chip unit: Report

Rajalakshmi S Updated - January 15, 2018 at 01:03 PM.

The logo of Toshiba is seen as shareholders arrive at Toshiba's extraordinary shareholders meeting in Chiba, Japan on March 30, 2017. Reuters

Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Google have joined bidding for Toshiba's NAND flash memory unit, vying with others for the Japanese firm's prized semiconductor operation, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported on Saturday.

Toshiba shareholders had on Thursday agreed to split off its NAND flash memory business, paving the way for a sale to raise at least $9 billion to cover US nuclear unit charges that threaten the conglomerate's future.

The

Yomiuri newspaper said bidding prices from Apple, Amazon or Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, were not known.

The

Nikkei business daily had reported on Friday that US private equity firm Silver Lake Partners and US chipmaker Broadcom Ltd have offered Toshiba about 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) for the unit.

About 10 potential bidders are interested in buying a stake in the microchip operation, a source with knowledge of the planned sale told Reuters earlier.

Suitors include Western Digital Corp, which operates a chip plant with Toshiba in Japan, Micron Technology Inc , South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc and financial investors.

Toshiba officials were not immediately available for comment.

Published on April 1, 2017 04:37