• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Finance

Why we love mergers

By
Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 4, 2014, 7:47 AM ET
Illustration By: Jason Schneider
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Before we begin this morning, students, I’d like you to Google the phrase “mergers fail.” I won’t ask you to Bing It! because I’m still annoyed at those guys for appropriating my name and somewhat diluting my brand.

In your search results you will see a host of articles contending that in up to 70% or 80% of cases, mergers dilute value rather than build it. This is obviously a canard that needs expunging. Why would there be so many mergers if the vast majority of them were a terrible idea? Businesspeople are wise and prudent. They would never embark on strategies that they know are likely to fail.

Why, just this year a host of merry mergers—trillions of dollars in action—have been announced in Big Pharma, telecommunications, entertainment, banking, and energy. Each is on its way like grain through a goose at the FTC, FCC, SEC—all the C’s that ostensibly regulate such activity. The common wisdom is that each one of these megadeals will probably pass muster. And why not? They’re obviously elegant, dynamic, well thought out by a phalanx of professionals dedicated to the subject, and likely to benefit everybody concerned. Well, almost everybody.

First, of course, are the bankers, whose disinterested passion for the art of the deal very often provides the spark that gets M&A activity going. Bless them, they engender the creative activity that drives the deal market. It’s only fair that they should skim the cream off the top of the transactional butter churn.

Then come the lawyers, who, like their banking counterparts, are not paid to question the long-term viability of the deals they facilitate. Yes, the reams of paper they produce will eventually make a barren tundra out of the last remaining old-growth forests on the planet, but without their efforts an incalculable number of independent companies would still be around, gumming up the big gears of Capital.

Real estate people have their oar in the water—out go the little stinky headquarters of one or both parties, in comes new space at megabucks per square foot, fresh and clean and unsullied, ready for the architect’s plans (money!) and construction guys (mo’ money!) and miles of sheetrock and paint and carpet and cable. Mergers don’t work? Ha! Ask the caterers who are right now delivering sandwiches to the guys building the IT infrastructure.

And let’s not forget business journalists. Know why? Because there is nothing more boring than business as usual. Yeah, yeah, we can idolize (or, if he’s with Uber, demonize) this digital entrepreneur or that wise old owl, or we can hump up the hill with the latest new mondo meme on our backs—Telecommuting! Open-plan offices! Hula-Hoops!—but, really, when you get right down to it, business as we live it every day is tedious. How much more interesting is the muttering of moguls, the smoke of war, the smell of burning headcount! Give us the sound of clanking armor in the night, the groans of the dying, the yelps of the winners.

And, yes, here comes Wall Street, whose stony bosom heaves at even the inkling of creative coupling. Up go the shares on speculation! Down they go on the news. Can we go short? Long? Dig in for the duration? Put a floor on it? Paint the ceiling? Open the window and throw the baby out with the bath water? Where’s the action? Where’s the game? Gotta have the game, or we’ll die from shame.

Which brings us to the public, you and me, liberated from the requirement to choose between competitors. One day, when all the M&As have been finished, we’ll have five big companies that do everything. And then there will be one. And peace will reign in the valley.

Finally, we arrive at … employees. Whoops. It seems I’m out of space. That’s okay. Doesn’t really fit my thesis anyway.

Follow Stanley Bing at stanleybing.com and on Twitter at @thebingblog.

This story is from the December 22, 2014 issue of Fortune.

About the Author
By Stanley Bing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Current price of Bitcoin for July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks July 1, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on July 1, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
DHL plane being refuelled at airport by man in high-vis jacket
EuropeAviation
The Iran conflict saw jet fuel prices soar—when you use 1.88 million tonnes a year, how you respond really matters (just ask DHL)
By Sam ForsdickJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 30 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 30 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.