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The three companies most commonly meant are LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard. That is a useful list of Microsoft’s best-known modern acquisitions—not a definitive list of its only purchases or its three largest deals. If you mean largest by deal value, the usual answer is Activision Blizzard, LinkedIn and Nuance Communications.
The three best-known modern acquisitions
Microsoft has acquired many companies over several decades, so the question needs a criterion. For a general-interest answer, these three are among its most recognizable modern acquisitions:
- LinkedIn. Microsoft completed its acquisition of the professional networking platform on December 8, 2016. The deal was valued at about $26.2 billion. LinkedIn brought Microsoft a large professional network and related recruiting and business services. Microsoft announced the completed acquisition.
- GitHub. Microsoft lists GitHub as acquired on June 4, 2018. The deal was valued at $7.5 billion in Microsoft stock. GitHub is a platform where developers host code and collaborate on software projects; it is not itself a software product such as Windows. Microsoft’s acquisition history records the date, and Microsoft’s company overview gives the deal value.
- Activision Blizzard. Microsoft announced its agreement to acquire the gaming company on January 18, 2022, and completed the acquisition on October 13, 2023. Its announcement valued the transaction at $68.7 billion including Activision Blizzard’s net cash. The company’s major businesses included Activision, Blizzard and King, associated with franchises such as Call of Duty, Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and Candy Crush. The announcement date is not the closing date: see Microsoft’s deal announcement and completion announcement.
So, if someone asks casually which three major companies Microsoft bought, LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard are a reasonable answer. They should not be described as the three biggest by price.
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If you mean the three largest acquisitions by value
The commonly cited top three by deal value are:
- Activision Blizzard — Microsoft announced a value of $68.7 billion including net cash.
- LinkedIn — approximately $26.2 billion.
- Nuance Communications — approximately $19.7 billion in major-acquisition comparisons. Microsoft completed the Nuance acquisition on March 4, 2022.
Rankings can look inconsistent because sources may compare different measures: the announced transaction value, equity purchase price, enterprise value, or a figure that includes or excludes acquired net cash. For example, the Activision Blizzard announcement used $68.7 billion including net cash, while the per-share equity value is often reported as roughly $75 billion. Any “largest” ranking should state its valuation basis. Microsoft’s company facts and milestones and this comparison of its largest acquisitions provide context.
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Other acquisitions people often have in mind
- Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, acquired in 2014. Minecraft is the game and franchise, not the name of the acquired company.
- ZeniMax Media, acquired in 2021. ZeniMax was the parent company associated with Bethesda Softworks and its studios, so “Microsoft bought Bethesda” is common shorthand but less precise.
- Skype, acquired in 2011.
- Nokia’s Devices and Services business, acquired in 2014. Microsoft did not buy Nokia Corporation as a whole.
- Yammer, an enterprise social-networking service, acquired in 2012.
Microsoft’s official acquisition history lists these and many more purchases, dating back to 1994. Acquisitions also differ from investments, partnerships and licensing agreements: those do not necessarily mean Microsoft bought a company.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why different answers appear
“Three companies” could mean the most famous acquisitions, the largest by price, the acquisitions most relevant to a particular Microsoft business, or three companies named in a specific quiz or source. The question gives no period or ranking method, and Microsoft’s acquisition history is much longer than three names. The clearest answer is therefore to state the criterion: most recognizable points to LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard; largest by value generally points to Activision Blizzard, LinkedIn and Nuance.
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