Deal Alchemist

In September 2021, Netflix secured a foundational asset for the streaming wars by acquiring the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) for over $686 million (more than £500 million). This episode breaks down the transaction that transformed Netflix from a temporary content licensee into the exclusive, perpetual owner of some of the world's most beloved intellectual property (IP), including     Matilda ,...

A deep dive into one of the most dramatic corporate sagas in modern media. We break down AT&T's failed $85B Time Warner bet, the $65.3B WarnerMedia–Discovery reverse Morris trust deal, and the turbulent journey that followed — from massive debt pressures and creative clashes to canceled blockbusters, restructuring charges, and the shocking decision to split the company again by 2026. You'll walk a...

In 2017, Amazon stunned Wall Street and Main Street with its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market. More than just a grocery buy, this move became a blueprint for modern M&A—showcasing how technology, logistics, and brand can converge to reshape an entire industry.   In this episode, we unpack the strategic rationale behind the deal, from Amazon's push for omnichannel dominance to Whole...

Why Disney Bought Fox—and How It Changed Streaming Disney didn't buy 21st Century Fox just to get bigger—it did it to win the streaming race. We walk through what Disney bought (from Avatar to The Simpsons, plus control of Hulu and Hotstar), why Fox kept live news and sports, and how a bidding fight with Comcast drove the price to $71.3B. We also explain the regulator fixes, the debt Disney took o...

In this episode, we break down Microsoft's $26.2B acquisition of LinkedIn: why it made strategic sense, how the deal was structured and financed, and the EU remedies that cleared the path. Then we track early product integrations and performance signals. Finish with a simple playbook on buying the graph, integrating lightly, and pre-committing to openness. Connect: Dieunor Michel (LinkedIn): https...