MAJOR Yahoo! investor Daniel Loeb on Friday called for co-founder Jerry Yang to be ousted from the floundering Internet firm’s board of directors.

Loeb called for the purge as he notified the US Securities and Exchange Commission that his investment firm Third Point has become the second largest shareholder in Yahoo! and owns 5.23 percent of its shares.

Loeb’s crusade against Yang came as Yahoo! reportedly courted suitors interested in buying the pioneering Internet firm that faded from glory after being trounced by Google in the online search arena.

The investor expressed concern regarding news reports that Yang might be among those maneuvering to buy Yahoo!

“Given his ineptitude in dealing with the Microsoft negotiations to purchase the Company in 2008; it is now clear that he is simply not aligned with shareholders,” Loeb said in a letter to the board of directors.

“At a bare minimum, Mr Yang must declare whether he is a buyer or a seller — he cannot be both.”

Loeb demanded that Third Point be awarded board seats vacated by Yang and chairman Roy Bostock, or be given two newly created seats.    AFP