The Worst Business Decisions of All Time

Published on 04/17/2015
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Blockbuster doesn’t want Netflix.

Believe it or not, but at one time Blockbuster was the Netflix of its day. If you were into stock investing back when Blockbuster first blew up, you would have made a killing on them. In the year 2000 Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, came to Blockbuster to try and make a deal. Hastings wanted to get Netflix advertised in their stores and in exchange they would help get Blockbuster an online brand. Blockbuster passed on the offer and they have since gone out of business, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2010. Netflix is now the main source of media consumption for most people and they could have belonged to Blockbuster. If that deal went as planned, who knows what could have happened? We certainly don’t, but either way Blockbuster has left us entirely.

Blockbuster doesn't want Netflix

Blockbuster doesn’t want Netflix

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20th Century Fox gives George Lucas all merchandising rights.

As hard as it is to imagine, Star Wars wasn’t always destined to be a slam dunk hit at the box office. Lucas used any uncertainty that may have existed in order to get his film made while making himself a ton of money. Lucas convinced 20th Century Fox to give up all merchandising rights in exchange for $20,000. The billions of dollars that Lucas has earned as a result are hard to fathom.

20th Century Fox gives George Lucas all merchandising rights.

20th Century Fox gives George Lucas all merchandising rights.

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