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Icahn says he is done fighting Dell deal

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Investor Carl Icahn says he's done fighting the $24.8 billion Dell takeover bid by the U.S. technology giant's founder, which is scheduled for a vote Thursday.

Icahn referred to the Dell leadership as a dictatorship and said the company's board reminded him of the famous Clark Gable quote from the movie "Gone with the Wind."

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"They simply don't give a damn," Icahn wrote in a letter to shareholders.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Icahn, who owns 9 percent of Dell, said he is still going to vote against the proposal to have Dell sell itself to its founder, Michael Dell, and equity firm Silver Lake for $24.8 billion.

He also said his opposition to the deal forced Dell and Silver Lake to offer a better price for the company, increasing the initial $24.4 billion offer by 10 cents a share to $13.75 per share plus a special dividend.

That increase made the deal "a lot more tolerable," he said.

The board postponed the vote twice, fearing it would not meet with shareholder approval, the Journal said.

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"Most functioning dictatorships only need to postpone the vote once to win," Icahn said about the vote delays.

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