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Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO

SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 18, 2004

 

 

SOHU.COM INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware   0-30961   98-0204667

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

   (Commission File Number)  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

7 Jianguomen Nei Avenue

Bright China Chang An Building

Tower 2, Room 1519

Beijing 100005

People’s Republic of China

(011) 8610-6510-2160

(Address, including zip code, of registrant’s principal executive offices

and registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers

 

On November 18, 2004, Sohu.com Inc. announced that Victor Koo, President and Chief Operating Officer, will resign from the company effective March 31, 2005, to pursue entrepreneurial business opportunities. A copy of the press release issued by the company regarding the foregoing is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1 and is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(c) Exhibits.

 

99.1 Press Release dated November 18, 2004

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

DATED: November 22, 2004   SOHU.COM INC.
    By:  

/s/ Carol Yu

        Carol Yu
        Chief Financial Officer

 

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Press Release dated November 18, 2004

Exhibit 99.1

 

SOHU.com Announces President and COO Victor Koo’s Resignation

 

Beijing, CHINA, November 18, 2004 — SOHU.COM Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHU), China’s leading online media, communications, commerce and mobile value-added services company, today announced that Victor Koo, President and Chief Operating Officer, will resign from the Company effective March 31, 2005, to pursue entrepreneurial business opportunities.

 

Mr. Koo has been with SOHU since March 1999 in several functions including Senior Vice-President, Corporate Business Development, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President.

 

“Victor has played an important role in our success in the past six years and we understand his decision to move on and seek a new challenge. He contributed greatly to the growth of the advertising business, start-up of new business lines and the closing of numerous corporate transactions. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” said Charles Zhang, SOHU’s chairman and chief executive officer.

 

“Victor helped establish a strong team of experienced executives who are ready to take the helm independently. We have already begun to work on a smooth transition by splitting Victor’s operational responsibilities among these executives. Meanwhile, Victor will stay on as an adviser to the company for six months until September 30, 2005,” Charles Zhang added.

 

“SOHU has been a fantastic platform for my professional development and I am grateful for having been part of the SOHU story from an early Internet start-up to a publicly listed and profitable company. SOHU is a strong company with a proven online advertising business and great long-term prospects in the search and consumer business. I am confident that I will leave the business in good hands that will ensure stability and continuity with our consumers, clients, partners and employees,” said Victor Koo, President and COO of SOHU.

 

Safe Harbor Statement

 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, SOHU’s historical and possible future losses, limited operating history, uncertain regulatory landscape in the People’s Republic of China, fluctuations in quarterly operating results, and the company’s reliance on online advertising sales, wireless services (most wireless revenues are collected from a few mobile telecom operators) and e-commerce for its revenues. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in SOHU’s Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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About SOHU

 

SOHU.COM (NASDAQ: SOHU) is China’s premier online brand and indispensable to the daily life of millions of Chinese who use the portal network for their news, search, e-mail, wireless messaging, instant messaging, browsing, games and shopping. SOHU has built one of the most comprehensive matrix of web properties in China, consisting of the mass portal and leading online media destination www.sohu.com; the #1 online alumni club www.chinaren.com; #1 games portal www.17173.com; top real estate website www.focus.cn and wireless value-added services provider www.goodfeel.com.cn . This network of web properties offers the vast SOHU user community very broad choices regarding information, entertainment, communication and commerce. SOHU.COM, established by Dr. Charles Zhang, one of China’s Internet pioneers, is in its eighth year of operation.

 

For further information:

 

Caroline Straathof

SOHU Investor Relations and Communications

Tel: +86 10 6510 1379

E-mail: ir@sohu-inc.com

http://www.sohu.com/about/English/

 

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