Groupon's then-CEO Andrew Mason speaking on Aug 31, 2010, as Mayor Richard Daley, left, unveils a new committee on technology infrastructure at 600 W. Chicago Ave, home to Groupon and other city tech companies. — Chicago Tribune/TNS
It was the “WHAT?” heard around Chicago’s tech and business community 10 years ago today: E-commerce deals platform Groupon spurned a US$6bil (RM24.36bil) buyout offer from Google and chose to go it alone.
The rejection came during heady times for Groupon, which launched in the fall of 2008 with a two-for-one pizza deal at a Chicago bar and quickly became Chicago’s tech darling. By late 2010 it had grown to some 1,500 Chicago-area employees and moved into international markets. Forbes, in a cover story, proclaimed it the fastest-growing company in history.
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