Clickmango.com – may it RIP

Doctors are to turn off the life support machine of Clickmango.com - the trendy health and beauty e-tailer - on Friday after a protracted and painfully publicised illness. A bid to find a suitable donor failed. The e-outfit - which was getting through £100,000 a month - says all staff and creditors would be paid before the company is wheeled to the mortuary.

America Online, Inc has signed up more than 24 million members, the company said yesterday, adding almost six million new subscribers over the past year.

The National Grid has said it won't sell its stake in Energis before next spring, despite the fact that it needs £2.1 billion for its take-over of a US energy supplier. The acquisition of Niagara Mohawk Holdings will double the National Grid's presence in the US. The sell-off of its 36 per cent stake in Energis is expected to be worth £3.7 billion and it has confirmed it plans to sell it within three years. In April, new capital gains tax regulation comes into effect.

Michael Dell is the richest man in the US - under 40. At 35, he's worth a cool $17 billion (£11.6 billion). Next in, Ted Waitt (37), head of Gateway and worth $8.5 billion. The Yahoo! boys come third and fourth: David Filo, 36, $6 billion; Jerry Lang, 31, $5.85 billion. And then old Jeff Bezos, Amazon supremo, 36 and worth $5.74 billion. Presumably the age limit was imposed so ole Billy Boy wasn't up there again, making it more of a story. Well, we've written it haven't we?

Internet Indirect has invested $3 million in Kast Telecom Europe SA as part of a $20 million financing package. Now capitalised at $260 million, Kast is a pan-European broadband services provider providing applications and technology to SMEs. In February 2000 Internet Indirect bought 3.9 per cent of IQ Corporation, the sports content company, for £500,000. Since then, it has also invested £275,000 in Redbus Interhouse, a European neutral co-location facility roll-out, and £250,000 in ihavemoved.com, the change of address service. ®

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