Was AOL–Time Warner Doomed From the Start, or Just Poorly Led? (intro)

AOL and Time Warner’s $165B merger wasn’t doomed by vision—it was undone by execution. The leadership assumed integration would “fall into place,” but no one owned the change. There was no unified plan, no cultural bridge, and no clear governance.

What followed was classic post-merger chaos: siloed teams, unclear reporting lines, tech systems left disconnected, and cultures that never clicked. The deal serves as a cautionary tale—integration must be treated as a discipline, not an afterthought.

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