AOL and Time Warner Merger: A Historic Failure

The podcast discusses one of the biggest and most unsuccessful acquisitions in American corporate history: the merger between AOL and Time Warner in 2000. This acquisition, valued at a staggering 162 billion dollars, was considered a significant failure. AOL, known for providing dial-up internet access and dubbed the premier ISP of the early internet era in America, joined forces with Time Warner, owner of Warner Brothers, a major content business. The merger reflected a vision where ISPs controlled internet access and content services, which ultimately did not align with the evolving landscape of internet usage.