Why Microsoft and Yahoo had to do a deal

By

Tom Ziegler

By

Tom Ziegler

July 29, 2009, 11:06 AM ET

As messy as their hard-fought search deal was in coming, it had to happen. Find out why in Pattie Sellers’ Postcards column.

About the Author

By Tom Ziegler

See full bio

Latest in

Trump, standing behind a microphone, puts his pointer finger in the air.

Economy Davos

Trump says Europe does one thing right: drug prices. ‘A pill that costs $10 in London costs $130 in New York or Los Angeles’

By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 21, 2026

Banking Food and drink

Nathan’s Famous goes from 5-cent hot dog stand in Coney Island to $450 million acquisition by Smithfield Foods over 100 years later

By Matt Ott and The Associated PressJanuary 21, 2026

Newsletters CIO Intelligence

WPP’s CTO says AI is reshaping advertising. But creative judgment needs to remain in human hands

By John KellJanuary 21, 2026

Real Estate Davos

Trump doesn’t want America to be ‘a nation of renters,’ but experts say at least one of his proposals may put homeownership more out of reach

By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 21, 2026

President Donald Trump greets people as he steps off plane in Switzerland

Politics Politics

Trump calms markets with belligerent call for peace that touts contested antiwar record, reiterates U.S. ‘great power’ status and demands Greenland

By Tristan BoveJanuary 21, 2026

Future of Work skills

‘AI adoption is accelerating, but confidence is collapsing’: The more workers use AI, the less they trust it. Baby boomers show a 35% drop

By Jake AngeloJanuary 21, 2026

Latest in

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

Latest in

Economy Davos

Trump says Europe does one thing right: drug prices. ‘A pill that costs $10 in London costs $130 in New York or Los Angeles’

By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 21, 2026

Banking Food and drink

Nathan’s Famous goes from 5-cent hot dog stand in Coney Island to $450 million acquisition by Smithfield Foods over 100 years later

By Matt Ott and The Associated PressJanuary 21, 2026

Newsletters CIO Intelligence

WPP’s CTO says AI is reshaping advertising. But creative judgment needs to remain in human hands

By John KellJanuary 21, 2026

Real Estate Davos

Trump doesn’t want America to be ‘a nation of renters,’ but experts say at least one of his proposals may put homeownership more out of reach

By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 21, 2026

Politics Politics

Trump calms markets with belligerent call for peace that touts contested antiwar record, reiterates U.S. ‘great power’ status and demands Greenland

By Tristan BoveJanuary 21, 2026

Future of Work skills

‘AI adoption is accelerating, but confidence is collapsing’: The more workers use AI, the less they trust it. Baby boomers show a 35% drop

By Jake AngeloJanuary 21, 2026

© 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.