Google buy 5% stake in AOL for $1billion

Google recently invested in a 5% share of TimeWarner AOL, for a none too insignificant sum of $1 billion. Thats a lot of cash to spend on a company that has traditionally been viewed as uncool by anyone vaguely internet-savvy.

So what was Google’s interest in AOL that was worth $1billion to them? Possibly integration with various media offerings that AOL currently has and may have access to in the future via parent company Time Warner? Live 8 concerts, MTV video, downloadable TV shows, their partnership with XM radio, their music subscription service? Any of these may fit in well for Google’s plan to continue their indexing of the world’s content, and possibly they are looking to branch out into other media formats?

Here’s an idea for you, and something that I don’t think any search engine can currently do. You know that song that goes ‘la la la-la, di di, do do’? – Search. Now that would be very cool.

2 Replies to “Google buy 5% stake in AOL for $1billion”

    1. Uh oh – did I miss my probably only opportunity at a million dollar idea? Where were you 10 years ago to point this out? 🙂

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