The identity crisis that led to Yahoo's demise

A Yahoo logo is seen on top of the building where they have offices in New York City, U.S., July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

SAN FRANCISCO: When senior Yahoo executives gathered at a San Jose hotel for a management retreat in the spring of 2006, there was no outward sign of a company in crisis. 

The Internet pioneer, not yet a teenager, had just finished the prior year with US$1.9bil (RM7.72bil) in profits on US$5.3bil (RM21.55bil) in revenue. The tough days of the dot-com bust were a distant memory, and Yahoo Inc, flush with lucrative advertising deals from the world's biggest brands, was enjoying its run as one of the top dogs in the world's hottest industry.