One of the most talked about and expected takeover's has been confirmed: Verizon to acquire Yahoo's operating business.

Here's Yahoo's statement [yahoo.tumblr.com...]

And here's Verizon's announcement [verizon.com...]

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and SUNNYVALE, Calif. – July 25, 2016 – Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) today announce they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Verizon will acquire Yahoo’s operating business for approximately $4.83 billion in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments.

So...

Standard Oil monopoly (Exxon / Mobil and a fleet of 10+ child companies) is putting itself back together.

Verizon / AT&T + Bell monopoly is putting itself back together.

Looks like nobody's watching.

Who will buy open directory?

Open who?
;)

Verizon's Q2 2016 results, just out, showed it had sales of $30.5 billion

[verizon.com...]

Yahoo are on their deathbed. To think Microsoft offered $44bn a few years ago makes this deal laughable and also states how many now failed projects Microsoft would have acquired back then.

I think this was a smart buy on Verizon's part. The question is can they execute a strategy...I think they can but only with the right person.

Verizon is one of the former AT&T monopoly baby Bells, Bell Atlantic if I can recall.

There are 3 largest Baby Bells left standing, original AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink+Quest. They , essentially, control I would say over 95%+ of the market.

If AT&T wasn't broken up, you would not have internet as it exists today. They would only allow AT&T branded , rotary phone to connect to their network. :)

Now that this monopoly is putting itself back together without oversight, and is lobbying government on various internet-related issues, this has to be carefully watched.

And I am sure with the billions they make on access they can swallow 10 Yahoos and hire the right person to lead this company.

Because just the big data they acquired is worth more than $4 Bln. Yahoo has been had.

Look at their board of directors:
[investor.yahoo.net...]
Only very few people are actually coming from technology and internet firms, there's medical people , investment bankers etc. you name it. Eric Brand says Broadcom and Jane Shaw says "Intel" but both are actually from pharma background. Very low on high profile tech, maybe only Richard Hill and Maynard Webb who actually are. No wonder they have lost direction and have no clue.

PS. Marissa also had no direction, mobile is flattening. Her dream of Yahoo being a mobile something has been all that, pipe dream.
PPS. If some banker Dan Loeb has a way of firing Yahoo CEOs at will , then you know who actually controls the company (bankers) and therefore another line in the sand why there's no direction. And why "more mobile" from Marissa's powerpoint presentation has worked and she became yet another CEO in the long chain before iY! was sold to (probably bankers-controlled) Verizon.

R.I.P. Y!