BUNGIE

The Deal: Nearly a million

Microsoft acquired game developing studio, Bungie for only around a million in the year 2000. But after the acquisition, Bungie released their flagship game, Halo, which eventually reaped billion by selling millions of copies. But later on, in 2007 Bungie announced their split with Microsoft and becoming a privately held firm.

AT&T

The Deal: $5 billion

Another dangling deal from Microsoft, in 1999 Microsoft bought in stocks of cable and phone giant AT&T for a high price of $5 billion. The intentions where to get the Windows software into set top boxes, but eventually flopped in the market, as the product and the idea didn’t get the desired entry into the emerging broadband market.

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