Friday, March 21st, 2025 – 5:00 am

Two companies coming together means an exchange of money and corporate cultures. The big company gets something out of the faster-moving smaller one, and the smaller one benefits from the larger company’s stature and influence, which can fuel further growth.

But it’s hard to get that exchange just right.

On this week’s episode, we discuss Alphonso, which was acquired by LG Electronics in 2020. The drama between these companies – which includes salty emails, boardroom intrigue, company culture clashes and attempts to renege on contracts – is the stuff that usually happens on an LG TV, not at LG. And now, after Alphonso shareholders won their lawsuit against LG Ads, the company may go public.

Then, we unpack another potential acquisition: Oracle buying TikTok. Those that remember “Project Texas” may have déjà vu. Didn’t the two already court each other? And didn’t President Trump already sign an executive order that stopped the TikTok ban?

In fact, TikTok has until April 5 to find a solution that will save it from a ban. One such option could have Oracle buying a minority stake in TikTok, safeguarding US users’ data while allowing the algorithm to remain with TikTok.

Oracle is an enterprise heavyweight that loves to acquire. It boasts a long track record of buying companies at handsome prices. But Oracle Advertising ended abruptly last year on an earnings call. Can a company that has expressed distaste for data-fueled advertising businesses acquire a company that runs a data-fueled advertising business?