The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Barrick considered merely selling assets to African gold major Randgold Resources, but as talks progressed, the prospect of a takeover took centre stage. The Globe's Niall McGee writes that a regulatory filing released by Barrick on Friday sheds more light on how the two gold majors got together, a process that took about four years. The management information circular also shows that Barrick director Nancy Lockhart resigned on the eve of the $6-billion (U.S.) takeover announcement and did not attend the final board meeting. After becoming executive chair of Barrick in April, 2014, John Thornton held "periodic meetings" with Mark Bristow, Randgold's founder and chief executive officer, to discuss "potential strategic opportunities," according to the circular. In February of this year, the two met and discussed a number of possible transactions, including Barrick selling assets to Randgold in exchange for stock, or a takeover. In the weeks that followed, the asset sale became the focus. However, that changed in mid-May, when Mr. Bristow called Mr. Thornton and told him he was interested in a takeover of Randgold, as opposed to it buying assets from Barrick.