Behind every successful business, there's a battle to get to the top, and sometimes that battle

ends in disaster. Back in the year 2000, America Online, or AOL, was at the height of its power,

and it made a move that stunned Wall Street. It made a bid to buy Time Warner, one of the most

powerful media companies in the world. It was supposed to be the merger of the century,

but instead it turned into one of the century, but instead

it turned into one of the messiest corporate disasters on record. The newest season of business wars

takes you into that moment when ambition, ego, and emerging tech collided. You'll hear how a deal

meant to secure dominance in the digital age instead collapsed under its own weight. You're about

to hear a clip from the latest season of Business Wars, the AOL Time Warner disaster.

While you're listening, follow Business Wars on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the mid-80s, online services seem like a business full of promise.

Fewer than one in ten owns a computer in 1985, but that number is creeping up.

So while there are established rivals like CompuServe, there's plenty of room for growth.

CBC decides it will build an online service for the market-leading personal computer of the day.

The Commodore 64.

And in May 1985, they mark this new direction by adopting a new name.

Quantum Computer Services. Okay. adopting a new name, quantum computer services.

Huh, oh, you thought they were about to become AOL, huh? Well, not yet. But that moment's coming.

But what exactly is an online service in 1985? We're not talking about the internet here,

let alone the World Wide Web. That's years

away. In 1985, the online universe is made up of competing subscription services. They offer the

stuff we take for granted nowadays, email, chat, shopping, and news. But in 1985, each service is

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