Imagine what AAPL could have bought for the 20 or 30B they used for buy backs.
No balls, no blue chips. The company did die with Steve...very sad....
They could spend about $60B for a controlling interest in Disney. That would give them all of Disney's content and subsidiaries, including:
Walt Disney Studios
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. doing business as) Special Events Group
The Muppets Studio (formerly Muppets Holding Company LLC)
Motion pictures
Walt Disney Pictures. common name for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production
Disneynature
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distribution
Touchstone Pictures
Lucasfilm
Industrial Light & Magic
Skywalker Sound
Lucasfilm Animation
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore
LucasArts - All in-house development was ceased in April 2013, but it remained open as a publisher and licensor.
Lucas Licensing
Lucas Online Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios
DisneyToon Studios
Pixar Animation Studios
Disney Music Group
Walt Disney Records
Hollywood Records
Disney Music Publishing
Agarita Music
Buena Vista Music Co.
Falferious Music
Fuzzy Muppet Songs/Mad Muppet Melodies
Holpic Music, Inc.
Hollywood Pictures Music
Seven Peaks Music
Seven Summits Music
Touchstone Pictures Music & Songs, Inc.
Touchstone Songs
Walt Disney Music Company
Wonderland Music Company
Bueva Vista Concerts
Disney–ABC Television Group
ABC, Inc. DBA Disney–ABC Television Group
Disney/ABC Television Group Digital Media
Walt Disney Television
Disney-ABC Domestic Television - formerly Buena Vista Television
Disney-ABC International Television - formerly Buena Vista International Television
ABC Television Network
ABC News
Fusion (TV channel), joint venture news cable channel
ABC Enterprises, Inc.
Hulu (32%)
A+E Networks joint venture with Hearst Corporation; 50% equity holding
A&E
History
Bio.
H2
Military History
Crime & Investigation Network
A+E Networks International
A+E Networks Consumer Products
A+E Studios
A&E IndieFilms
A+E Films
A+E Networks Digital
Lifetime Entertainment Services
Lifetime
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Real Women
Lifetime Press
Lifetime Digital
myLifetime.com
LMN.tv
Lifetime Games
Roiworld.com, fashion games
DressUpChallenge.com, a fashion site
LifetimeMoms.com
MothersClick.com
ABC Entertainment Group
ABC Digital
ABC Entertainment
ABC Studios - formerly Touchstone Television & ABC Television Studios
Times Square Studios (division)
ABC Family Worldwide Inc.
ABC Family
ABC Spark - with Corus Entertainment
ABC Family Digital
BVS Entertainment
Saban Entertainment / Fox Kids, Ltd. library
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises / Marvel Productions, Ltd. library
ABC Owned Television Stations Group
WLS-7 Chicago, Illinois
KFSN-30 Fresno, California
KTRK-13 Houston, Texas
KABC-7 Los Angeles, California
WABC-7 New York City
WPVI-6 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WTVD-11 Raleigh-Durham
KGO-7 San Francisco, California
Live Well Network
ABC National Television Sales
ABC Regional Sports and Entertainment Sales
Disney Channels Worldwide
Disney Channel
Disney Cinemagic
Disney Junior
Disney XD
Hungama
Radio Disney
Disney Television Animation
ESPN, Inc.(Disney 80%)
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPN on ABC - formerly ABC Sports
ESPN Classic
ESPNews
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Films
ESPNU
ESPN Classic
ESPN Now
ESPN Plus
ESPN Original Entertainment
ESPN Pay-Per-View
ESPN Regional Television
ESPN International (see for complete list of channels)
ESPN America
TSN (20%)
ESPN Radio
Mobile ESPN
ESPN3
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN Books (an imprint of Disney's Hyperion Books)
ESPN Home Entertainment
ESPN Outdoors
BASS
ESPN Digital Center
Disney Interactive Media Group
Playdom
Disney Online
disney.com
Disney Online Kerpoof Studios
DigiSynd, social media marketing
Disney Family Network websites - also called Mom and Family Portfolio
family.com
Kaboose.com
Babyzone.com
AmazingMoms.com
Funschool.com
Zeeks.com
babble.com
Disneybaby.com
Disney Family (Family.com)
Spoonful.com
Go.com - formerly GO Network
Wondertime.com
Disney Interactive Studios
Avalanche Software
Wideload Games
Gamestar
Rocket Pack
Disney Mobile[edit]
Tapulous
Starwave Mobile
Disney Canada
Club Penguin
Marvel Entertainment
Cover Concepts, Inc.
Marvel Characters, Inc.
Marvel Studios
Marvel Music
Marvel Television division
Marvel Animation
Marvel Animation Studios (2012–present)
SH DTV Partners (2012–present)
Marvel Film Productions LLC (Delaware)
MVL Productions LLC: an indirect wholly owned film development subsidiary
MVL Film Finance LLC: holder of Marvel's Movie debt and theatrical film rights to the ten characters as collateral.
MVL Rights, LLC: subsidiary holding movie rights of all Marvel Characters with some on contract with MVL Film Finance
Iron Works Productions LLC: subsidiary holding debt to finance the Iron Man films.
Incredible Productions LLC (Delaware): subsidiary holding debt to finance the Incredible Hulk film
MVL Iron Works Productions Canada, Inc. (Province of Ontario)
MVL Incredible Productions Canada, Inc. (Province of Ontario)
Asgard Productions LLC (Delaware)
Green Guy Toons LLC (Delaware)
Squad Productions LLC (Delaware)
MVL Development LLC (Delaware)
Marvel Entertainment International Limited (United Kingdom)
Marvel Internet Productions LLC (Delaware)
Marvel Property, Inc. (Delaware)
MRV, Inc. (Delaware)
MVL International C.V. (The Netherlands)
Marvel Custom Solutions, customized comic books
Marvel Worldwide, Inc.
Marvel Comics
Icon Comics
MAX
Ultimate Comics
Marvel Press
Marvel Toys division
Marvel Toys Limited (Hong Kong)
International[edit]
Disney International
Disney
Miravista Films
Super RTL, Germany (joint venture between Disney [50%] and RTL Group [50%])
RTL II, Germany (15.75% stake)
NET TV, Spain (20% stake)
Disney Television (Germany), Inc.
Walt Disney Co., Ltd. Japan
studio entertainment
Walt Disney Studios Japan
Disney Music Group
Disney Character Voice International
Disney Theatrical Group
Media Networks
Walt Disney Television International Japan
Disney channel
Media distribution
Disney Interactive Group Japan
Disney Online
Disney Mobile
Disney Interactive Studios
Parks and Resort
Disney Destination International
Disney Vacation Club Japan
Disney Consumer Products
Disney Publishing Worldwide Japan
Disney Store Japan
Broadcast Satellite Disney Co.
Dlife TV channel
TWDC (India), Inc.[edit]
UTV Software Communications (100% stake since 2/2012)
UTV Communications (USA) LLC
IG Interactive Entertainment Ltd
UTV Global Broadcasting Ltd
UTV TV Content Ltd
UTV Games Ltd
First Future Agri & Developers Ltd
UTV New Media Ltd
Indiagames Ltd group's stepdown subsidiaries
Ignition Entertainment Ltd
True Games Interactive
Genx Entertainment Ltd
UTV Entertainment Television Ltd
UTV Tele-Talkies Ltd
RB Entertainment Ltd
Vikatan UTV Content Ltd
Screenshot Television Ltd.
Those are just the highlights. It would give Apple infinite iTunes content with which to power Apple TV. Imagine being able to subscribe to ESPN through iTunes or on your Apple TV for $14.95 per month. How quickly would you ditch cable/satellite with their bundled crapola at $100 per month? Lucasfilm? Pixar? Touchstone? Miravista?