Yahoo Sells To Verizon for $4.8 Billion, Was Asking for $57 Billion in 2008
Verizon is buying Yahoo’s internet business for $4.8 billion, ending Yahoo’s 22-year run as an independent entity https://t.co/3ofPy3ztoP
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 25, 2016
CNN Money — It’s official: Yahoo’s days as an independent company are over.
Verizon has agreed to pay $4.83 billion for Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30), the companies said before markets opened Monday.
The sale completes Yahoo’s evolution from influential search pioneer and web portal juggernaut to, in the end, a once-dominant brand that lost its way.
Parties as diverse as Warren Buffett and The Daily Mail were interested in buying Yahoo. But after a sale process that dragged on for months, Verizon (VZ, Tech30), long viewed as the frontrunner, is walking away with Yahoo’s more than one billion monthly active users.
In 2008, Yahoo wanted $57 billion to be acquired. Today, Verizon agreed to buy them for $4.8 billion.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 25, 2016
Forbes calls Verizon’s acquisition of Yahoo “the saddest $5 billion deal in tech history.” https://t.co/iHOaJsVzgU pic.twitter.com/RvSs55rgd4
— GeekWire (@geekwire) July 25, 2016
Look I’m not a math expert. Haven’t run the numbers. Haven’t consulted with Barstool Financial. But my instinct says it has not been a great 8 years for Yahoo. My instinct says you’re supposed to go up in value not down. And if you do go down, it’s not supposed to be to like 8% of your previous value. That ain’t good.
I guess this is finally living, formerly breathing proof that a fantasy football / news / 2D gaming / search engine / email website model — which sucks at all of the above — will not thrive in a world where specialization drives new businesses. Where you actually have to pick 1 vertical and become good at it. Where there’s an app for everything. Tough run for Yahoo: ESPN’s better at fantasy sports, gmail’s better at email, and even I’m better at the news. So what’s left?
Well, 4.8 BILLION dollars. Not bad. And they own a huge chunk of Alibaba. Not bad. And CEO Marissa Mayer is doing… not bad.
Marissa Mayer’s payday: 4 years, $219 millionhttps://t.co/BgsDvL7k7b via @DavidGoldmanCNN pic.twitter.com/R2t7FgCgML
— CNN Tech (@cnntech) July 25, 2016
Could be worse just… could be better. Like [$4.8 billion x 12] better. Oh well. RIP in peace ELECTRIC Yahoo commercials.