The pendulum in mergers and spinoffs - the not online, not ontime Warner

Sometimes I think that the business world reacts like a pendulum, alternating between merger mode and spinoff mode.

But the reality is that mergers and spinoffs happen all the time.

Speaking of spinoffs, remember AOL Time Warner? Well, they're still around, just without AOL - or (in a few weeks) Time.

Jack Warner would be proud. After all, he had his own experiences with, um, spinoffs. Jack spun off his brothers:

Co-founder of Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., along with brothers Harry M. Warner (the company's president), Sam Warner (the CEO) and Albert Warner (the treasurer). Was the studio's executive in charge of production until 1957 when he sold the studio to Seven Arts. One day later they sold it back to him leaving Harry and Albert out of the company then making him President. As far as I know the brothers never spoke to him again.

Other sources put the date at 1956, and say that Seven Arts didn't enter the story for another decade, but regardless of the year, the family was ruptured when Jack seized control of the company.