DougFregin
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Qualcomm could join BlackBerry founders in bid for beleaguered phone maker
As if the rumor mill wasn't crowded enough, The Wall Street Journal reports that mobile chipmaker Qualcomm could be joining RIM founders Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin in a bid to buy BlackBerry. Speculation of Qualcomm's involvement would be part of a bigger deal between RIM's founders and Cerberus Capital Management LP, that comes just days before the deadline for bids, set for Monday. The ever-informative sources close to the matter point out that even should the group create a partnership, they may not make a bid. Interest in the company has been attributed to every one from former Apple CEO John Sculley, to tech giants like Google, Intel and Samsung. However, the only real bid known to be on the table thus far is the $4.7 billion offer Fairfax Financial put forth in late September. Qualcomm's massive presence in the mobile space makes for an interesting twist, but we should know more on Monday when BlackBerry's board will consider whatever offers it actually receives.
