How Google, Facebook And Others Became Giants After Failed Billion Dollar Deals
It’s an era of startups. And, with the startups, comes a lot of excitement, offers, well-wishers, and may be disapprovals and failed deals. This one’s for all the founders and employees of the startups that dream to become a big fish someday.
Check out these famous failed tech deals that look where are those startups now. I bet you know them.
1) Google Almost Sold Itself For $750,000 To Excite
There will be no list on the world that wouldn’t start with Google as the top startup of all times. Surprisingly, Page and Brin offered their company to Excite in 1999 for $1 million and were further negotiated down to $750,000. Unlucky for Excite, this failed deal resulted in Google’s current worth is over $500 billion. By the way, have you ever heard about Excite?
I thought so.
2) Blockbuster Refuses To Buy Netflix For $50 Million
Blockbuster was the American giant in providing videos and games through various services. Netflix was a young startup losing money. So, they offered to sell Netflix to Blockbuster for $50 million. Blockbuster, it seems, couldn’t understand Netflix’s idea and refused. Netflix has brand worth around $50 billion today, while Blockbuster got busted in 2011 after this failed tech deal.
3) Google Rejects $3 Billion From Yahoo
Google was rising, and was rising fast after 2000. Yahoo saw an opportunity and tried to strike a deal for $3 billion. Google refused and after the IPO in 2004, Google amassed $23 billion market captivation and has never looked back since then.
4) Facebook Refuses $1 Billion Offer From Yahoo
Mere two years into existence, in 2006, this college project by Zuckerberg and his friends was prized at $1 billion by Yahoo. Facebook turned down the offer. It looks like Mark has something else planned.
5) Facebook Turns Down $15 Billion Offer From Microsoft
Just a year later, Facebook’s worth rose from $1 billion to whopping $15 billion as Mark got 500 million users signed up on his college startup. Microsoft offered $15 billion to accede Facebook but ended up having 1.6 % stake in the company. Refusal to $15 billion. Now that’s called having faith and perks of a failed tech deal.
6) Facebook Offered Twitter $500 Million Of Its Own Stock
Facebook quickly rose from being a college startup to the biggest brand. Facebook planned to buy Twitter with $500 million of its own stocks. But it got the taste of its own medicine when Twitter refused and you know very well where Twitter stands right now.
7) Snapchat Refuses $3 Billion From Facebook
Another promising startup refused Facebook’s offer, keeping trust on its own. Snapchat’s flat refusal proves this.
8) Yahoo Declines $44.6 Billion Offer From Microsoft
Microsoft was losing popularity as a brand since the rise of Google. In fact, no other company is as famous as Google. Microsoft tried to change the scene by wishing to accede Yahoo by offering $44.6 billion. Yahoo declined the offer and Microsoft came up with Bing.
These are only some of the tech deals that went down, and the startups skyrocketed.
If you are a founder of a startup and have faith in what you do, then who knows, the world might be writing about you next! Good Luck.
Also Read: Bill Gates Wants You To Read This Best Part Of Warren Buffett’s Letter
