10 Biggest Tech Acquisitions of the Decade
The tech world has witnessed some truly colossal deals over the past ten years, as companies have spent huge sums of money to expand their reach, dominate markets, and get ahead of the competition. The most recent major move? Alphabet’s potential $32 billion acquisition of the cybersecurity firm Wiz, which would be Google’s parent company’s biggest deal to date.
Here’s a look at the ten largest tech deals that have reshaped the industry in the last decade.
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Walt Disney snags Twenty-First Century Fox for $71 billion (March 2019) In a move that shook the entertainment industry, Disney acquired Twenty-First Century Fox, gaining control of iconic franchises like X-Men and Avatar. The deal also boosted Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, as it took on Netflix.
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Broadcom’s $69 billion VMware takeover (November 2023) Broadcom’s purchase of cloud computing company VMware aimed to strengthen its position in cloud infrastructure and software. The deal, which was completed in November 2023, was among the biggest tech mergers in history.
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Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision Blizzard gamble (October 2023) Microsoft’s acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard was a huge bet on the future of gaming and the metaverse. The deal gave Microsoft control of blockbuster franchises like ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘World of Warcraft’.
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Dell Technologies’ $67 billion EMC Corp deal (September 2016) Dell’s acquisition of EMC Corp created a tech powerhouse, combining Dell’s hardware expertise with EMC’s data storage solutions. The deal remains one of the largest in tech history.
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Elon Musk’s $44 billion Twitter takeover (October 2022) Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter (now X) was as controversial as it was expensive. The deal sparked debate about free speech, platform moderation, and the future of social media. X remains a platform – for more reasons than one.
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Broadcom’s $37 billion Avago Technologies merger (February 2016) Broadcom’s merger with semiconductor supplier Avago Technologies created a semiconductor giant, positioning the company as a key player in the global chip industry.
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IBM’s $34 billion Red Hat acquisition (July 2019) IBM’s purchase of software company Red Hat was a strategic move to take charge of the hybrid cloud market. The deal highlighted IBM’s shift from legacy hardware to cloud-based solutions.
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Cisco’s $28 billion Splunk deal (March 2024) Cisco’s acquisition of Splunk, a data analytics and cybersecurity firm, aimed to enhance its AI-driven security and observability capabilities.
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Salesforce’s $27.7 billion Slack buy (July 2021) Salesforce’s purchase of communication platform Slack was a play to compete with Microsoft Teams in the workplace collaboration sphere. The deal integrated Slack into Salesforce’s customer relationship management ecosystem.
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Microsoft buying LinkedIn for $26.2 billion (December 2016) Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn transformed the professional networking platform into a hub for enterprise tools and services.
Honorable Mentions
In April 2020, T-Mobile US bought Sprint for $23 billion, making it the third-largest wireless carrier in the US. Meta Platforms buying WhatsApp for $22 billion in October 2014 cemented Facebook’s parent company’s dominance in global messaging.
Why These Deals Matter
These mega-deals reflect the tech industry’s unyielding pursuit of innovation and market dominance. From cloud computing and cybersecurity to entertainment and gaming, companies are placing massive bets on the future.
As the tech landscape continues to evolve, it is clear that the battle for supremacy is far from finished, and the price tags are only getting bigger.
