Broadcom for $100 bn Qualcomm deal to build chip colossus

Deal would make Broadcom the leader in chips used in the over 1 billion smartphones sold each year

Broadcom Chief Executive Officer Hock Tan is contemplating an audacious $100 billion bid for Qualcomm, people familiar with the matter said, using what would be the largest technology takeover to build a powerhouse that dominates the market for wireless chips.

An offer of about $70 a share would include cash and stock and is likely to be made in the coming days, said the people. Buying Qualcomm would transform Broadcom into the third-largest chipmaker, behind Intel and Samsung Electronics, and make it the leader in chips used in the more than 1 billion smartphones sold each year. The combination would dwarf