Home Why Can’t Apple BUY Anything With Its $100 Billion?

Why Can’t Apple BUY Anything With Its $100 Billion?

Having an extra $100 billion lying around isn’t a bad problem to have. And I don’t have an issue with Apple’s decision today to use some of that cash stash to pay dividends to investors and to buy back some of its stock.

But doesn’t that decision also indicate a lack of attractive companies for Apple to buy? I mean, $100 billion is a lot of money and you would think there would be something out there worth owning in that price range. Apparently, Apple doesn’t think so. Or at least it doesn’t think there are any companies out there worth the price. And what does that say about the state of the technology industry?

In the days leading up to today’s announcement, I heard all sorts of speculation on what Apple might do with the money. Some of the suggestions were serious, like buying Sprint, or even Twitter. DropBox has been mentioned, too. $100 billion would even enable Apple to cover Facebook’s IPO price, or almost half of Google’s current market cap.

One could also argue that Apple should actually own at least parts of its vaunted supply chain. (Foxconn, I’m guessing, isn’t really for sale.) And with $100 billion, you could actually build infrastructure where-ever you wanted it. In the U.S., for example.

And just today, I’m reading suggestions that Apple should buy Adobe or Corel.

Why?

Apart from some small-ish deals, like Isreali flash-memory maker Anobit late last year, Apple has recently shied away from spending serious money on companies.

Mostly, I think, because it doesn’t have to. As the world’s largest publicly held company (by market cap), Apple has the market clout to get outside vendors to do pretty much anything it wants, at terms very advantageous to Apple. No matter how much money you have, there’s no reason to take a risk when you don’t have to. And none of the businesses mentioned above, none of them, enjoys margins that compare to Apple’s gaudy figures.

On the other hand, Apple’s situation reminds me of when I was a kid and wished I had all the money in the world… until someone pointed out that if I had all the money, I couldn’t use it to buy anything.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.