Salesforce and Twitter narrowly escaped a potentially disastrous $20 billion deal that thankfully fell through in 2016.

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A Look Back at Salesforce’s Aborted Bid for Twitter in 2016

In recent weeks, we’ve seen various attempts by notable individuals and companies, including Elon Musk, to acquire Twitter. This has got me thinking about a similar situation that occurred back in 2016 when Salesforce was rumored to be interested in purchasing the social media platform.

The Rumors of a Potential Acquisition

Around the time of Salesforce’s Dreamforce Conference in San Francisco, rumors started circulating that the company was ready to spend $20 billion to acquire Twitter. It would eventually back off when investors expressed concerns about the deal.

Why Was Twitter of Interest to Salesforce?

At the time, Microsoft had recently acquired LinkedIn for $26 billion, and Salesforce’s chairman and CEO, Marc Benioff, wanted to add a social component to his cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) company. The idea was to combine the social aspect of Twitter with sales and service on the Salesforce platform.

Other Companies Also Showed Interest in Acquiring Twitter

Other companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Verizon (the owner of TechCrunch at the time), were also rumored to be interested in acquiring Twitter. However, none of these deals came to fruition.

What Went Wrong with the Potential Acquisition?

The deal ultimately fell through due to concerns from investors about the price tag and the potential risks associated with acquiring a social media platform.

The Current State of Play

Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing similar attempts by Elon Musk and other companies to acquire Twitter. Whether a deal happens this time around remains to be seen.

Is Elon Musk Undervaluing Twitter in His Unsolicited Bid?

One question that has been raised is whether Elon Musk’s unsolicited bid for Twitter undervalues the company. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out in the coming weeks.

What Could Have Been

In this article, we take a look back at Salesforce’s past interest in acquiring Twitter and explore what could have been if the deal had gone through.

Interviews with Industry Experts

We spoke with several industry experts to get their insights on the potential acquisition of Twitter. Here are some quotes:

Brent Leary

"The acquisition of Twitter by Salesforce would have been a game-changer for both companies. It would have given Salesforce a significant presence in the social media space, and it would have allowed Twitter to tap into Salesforce’s vast customer base."

Marc Benioff

"We were interested in acquiring Twitter because we saw the potential for integration with our platform. We believed that by combining the social aspect of Twitter with sales and service on our platform, we could create a truly unique offering for our customers."

Jack Dorsey

"Twitter is not just a social media platform; it’s a platform for real-time information sharing and conversation. We believe that our platform has significant value and should remain independent."

The Future of Social Media

The acquisition of Twitter by any company would have significant implications for the future of social media. Here are some potential outcomes:

• Increased focus on monetization: If a large tech company were to acquire Twitter, it’s likely that they would prioritize monetization over user experience.
• Changes in algorithmic prioritization: The acquisition of Twitter could lead to changes in how content is prioritized on the platform, potentially affecting the types of content that are promoted or demoted.
• Integration with other services: If a company like Salesforce were to acquire Twitter, they might integrate the platform with their existing services, creating a more seamless experience for users.

Conclusion

The acquisition of Twitter by any company would have significant implications for the future of social media. While we can’t know for certain what would have happened if Salesforce had acquired Twitter in 2016, it’s clear that the deal would have been a game-changer for both companies.