private investors

Chancellor Angela Merkel won the support of German lawmakers to increase the firepower of eurozone's bailout fund Wednesday and indicated that private investors like banks should take a writedown of at least 50 percent on their Greek debt holdings.

Under pressure from France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany agreed not to force private investors to shoulder some of the burden.

Don't look for employees at these companies to break out shredders - or even break a sweat - quite yet, but the Securities and Exchange Commission might be curious about certain details related to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Zynga.  Unconfirmed rumors indicate the SEC is looking into their privately traded stock.

The White House is said to be pressing for a deal to convert the government’s stake in A.I.G.

The federal government said Wednesday that it will take majority control of troubled auto lender GMAC and provide an additional $3.8 billion in aid to the company, which has been unable to raise from private investors the money it needs to staunch its losses.

Charter schools, already seeing a surge in students, are getting attention from another group — private investors.

eBay on Tuesday announced the sale of 65% its Skype Internet calling division to a group of private investors.

The price: $1.9 billion.

EBay said a stake of about 65 percent was being acquired by an investor group led by the private equity firm Silver Lake.

Private investors, most likely including a new venture capital firm headed by Marc Andreessen, are expected to buy the unit.

Squeezed by rising bank failures, regulators made it easier Wednesday for private investors to buy failed institutions.