[topkai22]

Pixar / Disney

Marvel / Disney

Facebook / Instagram

EBay/PayPal

Exxon/Mobil

Massive numbers of banking / pharma/ industrial mergers.

I will agree though that I can't think of a tech sector merger at this scale that worked out really well. They seem to work best at the sub $2B level.

Although LinkedIn/Microsoft is looking OK.

[ScottFree]

What you don't hear about are the dozens of companies Disney has acquired then shut down over the years. Playdom. Tapulous. Junction Point Studios. Fall line Studios. Wideload Games. Propaganda Games. Black Rock Studios.

[topkai22]

Or the tragedy of LucasArts, which is one reason I left LucasFilm off the list.

Disney and gaming seem like a match made in heaven, but for some reason it seems like the mouse struggles to perform in that market compared to its unqualified successes in Movies, TV, and theme parks.

[GuiA]

Are we talking about financial success, or making quality products? I get that shareholders care about the former, but as hackers we should care about the latter.

Pixar movies have become crappy sequels made to sell toys. Instagram has become an ad infested product that tries to have every feature, resulting in a confused mess. Exxon/Mobil is one of the worst things that could have happened to the planet.

eBay/PayPal is a good one that made product sense.

I’m not big enough of a Marvel fan to judge that one.

[iamnotacrook]

"Pixar movies have become crappy sequels made to sell toys."

Not really. Most of what they do isn't sequels, and the ones they do are great. I saw Toy Story in the cinema and loved it. My daughter just saw Toy Story 4 in the cinema and loved it. So...financially successful, and people love the movies - not sure how this is a good example, to be honest (unless the metric is "I don't like it", of course...).

[aksss]

Skype/Microsoft