Yahoo is owned by Apollo Global Management (90%) and Verizon Communications (10%)
Founded: 1994
Country of origin: USA
Industry: Web services
Owner: Apollo Global Management (90%)
Type of Company: Subsidiary
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, USA
Website: www.yahoo.com
What is Yahoo?
Yahoo is an American web services provider known for its web portal, search engine, and related services. It offers a variety of products including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, and Yahoo Sports. Originally established in 1994, Yahoo was one of the pioneers of the early internet era in the 1990s.
It provides users with a wide range of services, including news, email, and financial information. Yahoo has undergone numerous changes in ownership and business focus over the years. As of 2021, it was owned by Apollo Global Management after Verizon sold its media assets. Yahoo has a significant global presence, though it faces stiff competition from other technology and internet companies. It remains an important part of the internet’s history and continues to evolve with changing digital trends.
Current Ownership
Yahoo, once a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange, experienced significant changes in its ownership structure over the years. As of the time of writing, Yahoo was majority-owned by Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm, following its acquisition from Verizon Communications, who retain a 10% stake in the company. Prior to this, Verizon had acquired Yahoo’s internet business in 2017, integrating it with AOL to form a subsidiary named Oath Inc., later rebranded as Verizon Media.
Yahoo Ownership History
- 1994: Founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo; operated independently.
- 1996-2008: Publicly traded on NASDAQ; independent operation.
- 2008-2012: Microsoft attempts acquisition, fails; Yahoo remains independent.
- 2012-2017: Multiple CEOs and strategic shifts; remains publicly traded.
- 2017: Verizon Communications acquires Yahoo’s core internet business; integrates with AOL to form Oath Inc.
- 2017-2021: Operates as part of Oath Inc., which is later rebranded as Verizon Media.
- 2021-Present: Apollo Global Management acquires Yahoo from Verizon; operates as a private company.
Yahoo Assets
Yahoo has held numerous assets during its time. As of writing, these are the most important assets owned by Yahoo:
- Yahoo Search: A search engine providing web search and related services.
- Yahoo Mail: An email service.
- Yahoo News: A news aggregation service.
- Yahoo Finance: A financial news and information service.
- Yahoo Sports: A sports news and scores service.
- Yahoo! Native: An advertising platform.
Other assets
- Rivals.com: A website that focuses on college basketball and college football recruitment.
Yahoo History
Yahoo, founded in 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, started as “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web” and was later renamed Yahoo. It quickly became a central figure in the early internet era, going public on NASDAQ in 1996. The following year, Yahoo expanded its services by launching Yahoo Mail, which was developed from its acquisition of RocketMail.
By 1998, Yahoo had risen to become the most popular starting point for web users on the internet. However, the early 2000s saw a shift in the company’s fortunes, particularly after the dot-com bubble burst, leading to a decline in its market dominance.
In a notable event in 2008, Yahoo rejected a significant acquisition offer from Microsoft. The next few years were marked by various strategic shifts and changes in leadership. This period of transition culminated in 2017 when Verizon Communications acquired Yahoo’s core internet business, subsequently integrating it into Oath Inc.
In 2021, a major change occurred as Apollo Global Management acquired Yahoo from Verizon, marking a new chapter in its history. By 2023, facing the challenges of an evolving digital landscape, Yahoo announced a reduction of its workforce by 20%, reflecting the ongoing transformations in the tech industry.