<http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/getty-images-to-sell-itself-to-hellman-friedman/?ref=business> "The price, based on a bid of $34 a share, represents a 55 percent premium over the company's share price on Jan. 18, the day before it announced it was "exploring strategic options." Hellman & Friedman's bid is 39 percent higher than Getty's closing stock price of $24.45 on Friday. "Through a series of acquisitions, Getty grew to become the world's largest distributor of high-quality pictures and video. Still, fears about increased competition from lower-cost Internet-based rivals have taken their toll on Getty's stock price, prompting the company to seek a buyout." Dare I suggest H&F didn't get a very good deal. But I suppose they were smart to move faster than [[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]]. cheers Brianna -- They've just been waiting in a mountain for the right moment: http://modernthings.org/