‘HP executives were aware of Autonomy sales tactics’

Hewlett-Packard’s senior executives were aware of certain Autonomy sales practices months before a whistleblower flagged them, prompting HP to write down Autonomy’s value, the Financial Times reported.

HP — which bought Autonomy for $11.1bn in 2011 only to write down its value by $8.8bn a year later — has accused Autonomy officials of accounting fraud.

Suggestions that HP may have known about some of Autonomy’s practices before the whistleblower came forward could weaken its argument that Autonomy officials buried information.