Chrysler wants Kerkorian to hit the road

Chrysler would be better off if Kirk Kerkorian, its largest shareholder, sold his stake in the company. That's what Chrysler Chairman Robert Eaton tells reporters at the mid-May annual meeting (see Auto Talk, p. 18). "Mr. Kerkorian has been a very disruptive force recently - we hope that goes away," he says. Although Chrysler has no plans to buy Mr. Kerkorian's 10% stake, Mr. Eaton's criticism of his offer doesn't stop there. That kind of "highly leveraged" buyout offer wouldn't work, Mr. Eaton says. It would saddle the company with a heavy debt burden. Those sort of words don't prepare the ground work for a kiss-and-make-up atmosphere once the Chrysler/Kerkorian flap is over.