May 12, 2015
Verizon Press Release:
NEW YORK – Taking another significant step in building digital and video platforms to drive future growth, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the signing of an agreement to purchase AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) for $50 per share — an estimated total value of approximately $4.4 billion.
This was the Tech news of the day.
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November 24, 1998
AOL acquired Netscape Communications in a $4.2 billion deal.
After inflation adjustment, the $4.2 billion AOL spent to acquire Netscape equals roughly $6.05 billion in 2015. (per Bureau of Labor Statistic CPI Inflation Calculator)
Where have all AOL’s value gone?
Related:
By the numbers: AOL then and now (Quartz)
John Gruber’s Daring Fireball:
Consider how far AOL has fallen, and how much the media world has changed: in 2000 AOL acquired Time Warner for $182 billion, creating a post-merger company then valued at over $350 billion.