AOL sold to Verizon: its journey from tech giant to penny-ante side bet

The $4.4bn price tag for the once-great internet player is a bargain compared to what it could have commanded 15 years ago

Fifteen years ago, when AOL effectively took over Time Warner in a deal often described as the worst in history, the gamble was that the internet was the future of communication. That bet was right even if it cost AOL and Time Warner almost everything.

Given AOL's subsequent collapse, Verizon's $4.4bn purchase of the fallen internet star is a terrific deal for AOL. Finally, proof that AOL has something to offer besides your grandmother's email address, and it's something Verizon needs as it competes with other telecoms carriers and cable operators: mobile ad technology.