Group Nears Record Deal for Chip Maker

A consortium of investment firms was near a deal late last night to acquire Freescale Semiconductor, a former unit of Motorola, for more than $16 billion, according to people briefed on the negotiations. The deal, if completed, would be the largest leveraged buyout ever in the technology sector, surpassing the $11.3 billion sale of SunGard Data Systems last year.