Groupon Prankster Mason Not Joking in Spurning Google

Andrew Mason, founder of daily deal site Groupon Inc., is a serial prankster, dedicating office space to a fictitious character, hiring a performance artist to walk around the headquarters in a tutu and dreaming up a holiday called Grouponicus whose celebrants are barred from owning dogs.

There was no joking, though, when he spurned a takeover offer worth $6 billion from Google Inc.