2003-02-10 23:22:56braveheart
Another Poor Steve (Steve Case)
Steve Case is Chairman of AOL Time Warner Inc., whose industry-leading businesses include interactive services, cable systems, publishing, music, networks and filmed entertainment. Mr. Case leads the Board of Directors and helps set AOL Time Warner's strategy. He is also Chairman of the AOL Time Warner Foundation. In 2001, he led a historic biggest merger--- to make AOL merge with Time Warner Inc.
It was the most famous business case during the boom of the Internet business. AOL Time Warner Inc. claimed a victory of the combination between the Internet Services Provider (ISP) and the content provider. Since then, some people started to worry about the big monster will monopolize the media and will be unbeatable in the Internet service business. But who knows! After 2 years later, AOL Time Warner stock price has dropped down more than 70%, becoming the company that lost the most money in a year, and Steve Case will step down as Chairman effective at the Annual Shareholders Meeting in May.
Undoubtedly, Mr. Case has to take responsibility for this outcome, but I would like to say that he is really unlucky, too. Before the dot com bubble broke, the atmosphere was really good for Internet business. Merger and acquisition (M&A) was the most efficient way to expand business, because of the synergy of alliance. In that prosperous e-commerce era, traditional enterprises were blamed to be “too rigid to change.” What a crucial crit it was! Any CEO wanted to give a BIG shot to prove his/her vision on the Internet will bring a lot of profit. Steve Case is just one of the “cases” that once a hero, but finally a bear.(20030208)
(http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55252963
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A11512-2003Jan4¬Found=true
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55252981
http://aoltimewarner.com/corporate_information/bio/CaseSteph.adp)
It was the most famous business case during the boom of the Internet business. AOL Time Warner Inc. claimed a victory of the combination between the Internet Services Provider (ISP) and the content provider. Since then, some people started to worry about the big monster will monopolize the media and will be unbeatable in the Internet service business. But who knows! After 2 years later, AOL Time Warner stock price has dropped down more than 70%, becoming the company that lost the most money in a year, and Steve Case will step down as Chairman effective at the Annual Shareholders Meeting in May.
Undoubtedly, Mr. Case has to take responsibility for this outcome, but I would like to say that he is really unlucky, too. Before the dot com bubble broke, the atmosphere was really good for Internet business. Merger and acquisition (M&A) was the most efficient way to expand business, because of the synergy of alliance. In that prosperous e-commerce era, traditional enterprises were blamed to be “too rigid to change.” What a crucial crit it was! Any CEO wanted to give a BIG shot to prove his/her vision on the Internet will bring a lot of profit. Steve Case is just one of the “cases” that once a hero, but finally a bear.(20030208)
(http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55252963
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A11512-2003Jan4¬Found=true
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55252981
http://aoltimewarner.com/corporate_information/bio/CaseSteph.adp)