Last month we posed this question in a headline about FriendFinder Networks: “Are Investors Finally Ready for an Internet Porn IPO?“. Today we know the answer: No.
FriendFinder, a collection of porn sites and niche social networks, was supposed to start trading this week, after filing for a public offering more than a year ago. But this morning it pulled its IPO, citing “market conditions”.
I’m assuming that this is not a euphemism for the Dow’s plunge yesterday, but instead a polite way of saying “we couldn’t find buyers”. The AP reports that FriendFinder, which was trying to sell some 20 million shares for $10 to $12, sold 15 million shares at $7 each earlier this week in pre-IPO trading.
Now FriendFinder will have to find some other way to resolve its massive debt issues. The company throws off a lot of cash, but all of that — and more — is getting hoovered up by loan payments. The company reported $45 million in income from operations in the first nine months of last year, and spent $75.3 million on interest payments in the same period.
Meanwhile, if you’re in the market for a high-end sports car, this may be the time to make the FriendFinder team an offer. The company has yet to sell the Ferrari 360 Modena it bought from its founder for $125,000 in 2006. FriendFinder is carrying the car on its books at $95,000, but I’d bet they’re willing to negotiate.
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