[bgwhn]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitio...

Web search engines:

- Outride (2001)

- Kaltix (2003)

- Akwan Information Technologies (2005)

- Orion (2006)

- Aardvark (2010)

- PlinkArt (2010)

- Metaweb (2010)

- Like.com (2010)

- Apture (2011)

Granted, none of these were very high-profile, and Google hasn't acquired any other web search engines either, but to say "Google has never had to buy a competitor" is naive.

They've also spent a lot of money acquiring competing companies that aren't related to their core business. YouTube competed with Google Video before they were acquired. DoubleClick competed with AdSense (and arguably, Google stole DoubleClick's model). Waze competed (and still competes) with Google Maps.

Acquisitions aren't a sign of weakness.

[adventured]

Might as well add to that, that Google's entire core business model was intentionally and directly swiped from GoTo.com (which they of course settled over). $90 billion in search ad sales built on a business concept they had to go outside of their own company for. Further deflates the parent's premise.

[nvalleysilico]

Those were never direct competitors and never a threat to Google. Unlike easy-to-duplicate and fleeting social networking companies. Keep trying and keep in mind the DNA of Google in terms of being founded based on algorithmic technology as opposed to cut, copying and pasting text entry boxes for vicariously spying on girls (while also calling users "dumb f*cks" is much different than a core algorithmic search engine. This is evident by Google's revenue and breadth in hardware (TPUs etc) and true AI. Add the fact that Google controls more popular properties and products in terms of user adoption and revenue.