Well put.
Although I am quite sure you implied it, the other thing which needs to be emphasized over and over again is that PW as we all know is a self-serving SOB who doesn't give a rat's ass about shareholders in spite ofis declaring when he took over, that he was going to maximize shareholder value(lol) which translated means that we would profit only as an offshoot as to his profiting first and foremost.
To cut to the chase it just seems to me that if he thought he could get more for the company than the $8.50 based on all criterion and obstacles remaining, he would have.
Many of those bitching and yelling about how we were sold out don't stop and consider that PW may very well have been privy to information and huge obstacles remaining which hareholders had no knowledge of, all of which led to his recommendation to the board to sell.
Translation-PW was worried about his financial being moving forward and thus decided to sell at as you so well describe at the "gift" price of $8.50.
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