

What ever became of Microsoft's $150 million investment in Apple? - vasilyKand
http://www.tuaw.com/2014/05/20/what-ever-became-of-microsofts-150-million-investment-in-apple/

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onion2k
_If Microsoft still had their shares, they 'd be worth $21.86 billion, a hell
of a return for the initial outlay of $150 million._

That is a hell of a return, but I suspect that Microsoft are one of the few
organisations capable of taking $150m and turning it in to _more_ than $21b
(especially around the time they owned those shares). A single successful
product in a new market could have done that. $150m in cash represents a huge
opportunity to a business; far more than a block of shares in a rival. And
don't forget that Microsoft were supposed to be _stopping_ Apple being that
successful. They failed, but that doesn't mean they'd have been better off not
trying. Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

