Case 10: MicroStrategy (2000)

• Prof. Dr. Klaus Henselmann
• Dr. Stefan Hofmann

In 2000, the reversal of fortune could not have been greater for MicroStrategy, Inc. In January, the Vienna, Virginia-based software company announced that its 1999 revenue hit USD 205 million (up 93% from the previous year), and that its earnings rose to 29 cents per share (from 16 cents in 1998). A few days later, it was the host of a Super Bowl party with 5,500 guests; the pre-game show included four MicroStrategy commercials, with a fifth broadcast during the game. In March, the company’s founder and CEO, Michael Saylor, gained widespread attention for his announced plan to donate USD 100 million to start an Internet university that would provide “free education for everyone on earth, forever” and that would compete with the Ivy League. On March 10, MicroStrategy’s stock reached USD 333 per share (more than 80 times its price when it went public in June 1998). At the time, 34-year-old Michael Saylor was one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the United States, exalted in the media for his business success.

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