[sangnoir]

>But Google and Facebook are not the only companies in town that provide these products

Your argument falls apart there because they wouldn't be the only companies in town doing "medical or fundamental physics research" either.

It is blind luck that the industries and/or execution by Fb & Google allow them to print money - I don't think you can expect the same successes had they started off as medical or physics startups.

Incidentally, Alphabet is diversifying into medical research with Calico, and I hope it will turn out to be more than a billionaire's way of coping with their mortality.