Rumors are flying about who will buy the American auto company Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler, their German parent company. Car makers Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Fiat, and Renault-Nissan have all announced that they are not interested. Most rumors center around Detroit's General Motors, although more recent reports point to several American and European private equity firms interested in buying Chrysler. In an email message, Chief Executive Tom LaSorda told Chrysler's employees that "It may take weeks or months before official comments can be made on some issues." Some say that DaimlerChrysler is encouraging the industry rumors and discussion to get a better idea of how much they can get for the company that they acquired in 1998.