On February 27, 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice launched a major antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group, focusing on whether the company’s vertical integration strategy—particularly Optum’s acquisition of physician practices—creates …
Department of JusticeUnitedHealth GroupUnitedHealthcareOptumhealthcaremedicare-advantageantitrustvertical-integrationregulatory-capture+1 more
The Department of Justice approved Cigna’s $52 billion acquisition of Express Scripts, one of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers, completing the deal announced in March 2018. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim stated that after a six-month investigation reviewing over two …
CignaExpress ScriptsDepartment of JusticeMakan DelrahimDavid Cordanihealthcarepbmpharmacyantitrustregulatory-capture+2 more
CVS Health announced its $69 billion acquisition of health insurer Aetna (with debt, $77 billion total), marking the largest healthcare merger in U.S. history and accelerating vertical integration in pharmacy benefit management. Under the deal, Aetna shareholders would receive $145 in cash plus …
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By 2013, the systematic exploitation of publishers through Google’s advertising technology monopoly had become evident. Publishers and advertisers discovered that Google was extracting 30-50% of advertising spending that flowed through its platforms—two to three times the take-rate of …
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On April 13, 2008, Google completed its $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, the dominant online advertising server and ad exchange operator. The merger, approved by the Federal Trade Commission in December 2007, combined Google’s search advertising dominance with DoubleClick’s …
GoogleDoubleClickFederal Trade CommissionPamela Jones Harbour (dissenting FTC Commissioner)David Rosenblatt (DoubleClick CEO)googledoubleclickmergerantitrustftc+3 more
In early 1901, J.P. Morgan, the country’s most powerful banker, purchased Andrew Carnegie’s Carnegie Steel Corporation for $500 million and merged it with nine other steel companies to form the United States Steel Corporation—the world’s largest corporation and first billion-dollar …
Andrew CarnegieJ.P. MorganU.S. Steel CorporationCarnegie Steel Corporationmonopoly-powercorporate-consolidationvertical-integrationmarket-dominancefinancial-empire
On July 1, 1892, Andrew Carnegie consolidated his various steel operations into the Carnegie Steel Company, creating the largest and most profitable steel company in the world through complete vertical integration of the entire steel production chain. The company headquarters were located in the …
Andrew CarnegieHenry Clay FrickCarnegie Steel Companycorporate-powersteel-industryvertical-integrationgilded-agemonopoly
Andrew Carnegie opened the Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock, Pennsylvania, in 1875, effectively introducing the Bessemer steelmaking process to the United States at industrial scale and launching his steel empire. Construction had begun in 1872, with the mill beginning rail production in 1874. …
Andrew CarnegieEdgar Thomson Steel Workscorporate-powersteel-industryvertical-integrationgilded-ageindustrial-consolidation