Yahoo! Inc. (1995–2017)

  • Yahoo! Inc., founded by Stanford graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994, was a pioneering internet giant that became the most popular web portal and search engine by the late 1990s.
  • At its height, the company's diverse services—including Yahoo! Mail, News, and Finance—drew over half a billion monthly visitors, making it one of the most visited sites globally.
  • However, after peaking at a valuation over $100 billion during the dot-com boom, the company began a slow decline beginning in the late 2000s.
  • In a dramatic fall, Verizon Communications announced in February 2017 its intent to acquire Yahoo's core internet business for just $4.48 billion, completing the purchase on June 13, 2017.
  • Following the acquisition, the original company was renamed Altaba, while Yahoo's assets were folded into Oath (later Verizon Media) until being rechristened as the current Yahoo! Inc. in 2021.