AOL Turns 25

AOL turns 25
Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images

Merger
In January 2001 AOL and Time Warner (parent of time.com) stunned the business world with the announcement that the two giant companies would merge. The marriage of the internet powerhouse AOL with the media giant Time Warner was viewed as the perfect blend of companies for the new millennium. It was thought that the deal, which was valued at $350 billion, would blend AOL's large web presence with Time Warner's extensive entertainment and editorial portfolio, which includes publishing, movie studios and television stations, several of which were then owned by billionaire Ted Turner, who joined Case and Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin on stage for the announcement of the merger.

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