Microsoft stunned investors yesterday with the announcement that they were distributing 75 billion in cash because they had run out of things to buy. According to Microsoft CFO John Connors "With the acquisition of Lookout, we've crossed every single item off our shopping list. Frankly, there's just nothing left to buy."
...
For years a strategy of erecting more and more buildings to simply hold the cash, and constantly relocating employees in the process, worked well for the company. But with the announcement by Steve Ballmer that the company planned to trim 1 billion in expenses this year, and with cash already piling up at a rate of 1 billion per month, executives realized the situation was hopeless. "In the end, there was nothing left to do but just give it away." says Connors.