2022 was an exciting time for mergers and acquisitions, with some of the biggest deals of the year taking place in the year's first half. These deals have ranged from large companies increasing market share and moving into new geographies to smaller, strategic acquisitions helping companies increase their customer base and synergies. A ShareVault virtual data room (VDR) makes collaboration between parties involved in M&A deals easier, allowing for real-time, remote access to the same information. Below are the three biggest M&A deals of 2022:
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, the developer of well-known video game brands including Candy Crush and Call of Duty, was acquired by Microsoft in a roughly $69 billion cash deal last January. It is now among the 30 largest M&A deals in history.
Microsoft, the maker of Xbox and owner of the popular Halo and Minecraft video game series, now owns a large majority of some of the most popular video games in the world. This makes it the world’s third-largest gaming company behind Tencent and Sony in terms of total sales.
Because of this large monopoly, the Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit in December to stop the transaction, arguing the alliance would hurt competition. The trial is scheduled to start this summer.
Broadcom’s Acquisition of VMware
One of the biggest merger and acquisition deals of 2022 was the purchase of VMware by tech company Broadcom. The deal was announced in May 2022 and is valued at approximately $61 billion.
The acquisition of VMware by Broadcom is seen as a move to strengthen the company's cloud computing and virtualization business. Broadcom has already been making investments in the cloud computing industry. This move will further solidify its presence in the world of cloud data.
Broadcom is also looking to capitalize on VMware's diverse product portfolio. This includes cloud-native applications, hybrid cloud management, and digital workspace solutions.
For VMware, this is a great opportunity to gain access to Broadcom’s vast financial resources and its global reach. The company will be able to leverage Broadcom's extensive customer base, technology, and intellectual property portfolio. This will enable it to accelerate its innovation initiatives and also further build its consumer audience.
Elon Musk’s Acquisition of Twitter
Moving on to one of the most publicized M&A deals of 2022, Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. On April 25, Twitter's board of directors accepted Elon Musk's $44 billion offer for the company after first rejecting his advances. A few weeks later, Musk tweeted that he was shelving his offer because of allegedly "false and misleading" claims made during discussions about the prevalence of phony Twitter accounts.
In a surprising turn of events, Musk reversed his position and said he intended to move forward with the transaction as long as the trial was adjourned. Elon Musk's $44 billion purchase of Twitter has now been officially verified by Twitter. Musk is now the wealthiest man in the world and the owner of one of the most significant social media platforms.
Secure M&A Deals With a ShareVault Virtual Data Room
At ShareVault, our VDRs help provide a secure, efficient, and organized platform for storing and sharing information during an M&A deal. VDRs can help streamline the due diligence process and facilitate a successful outcome.
We help facilitate secure document sharing by providing extensive controls over sensitive document access and user permissions. We secure confidential data, improve your company's efficiency, and may even cut operational costs. Contact ShareVault today for a consultation about your VDR needs.