It is reported that Freescale has hired a bank to help it find a buyer. Samsung is a possible contender, it is said.

Freescale was bought in 2006 by private equity fund Blackstone for $17.6 billion. Blackstone loaded up the company with $10 billion of debt.

Nine years later, there is still $5.5 billion owing.

Freescale’s sales have been shrinking ever since the Blackstone purchase. In 2006, the company had sales of $6.4 billion. In 2014, it had sales of $4.6 billion.

EBITDA last year was $1.09 billion.

Freescale’s market cap is $10.6 billion.