Alphabet is reportedly in advanced talks to buy cybersecurity startup Wiz Inc. According to a source familiar with the situation, the value of the acquisition could reach as high as $23 billion, which would make it Alphabet's largest purchase in history. However, no final agreement has yet been reached and negotiations could collapse at any time.
Acquisition history and regulatory hurdles
Alphabet already owns Mandiant, which it bought two years ago for $5.4 billion. That was Alphabet's second-largest acquisition to date, surpassed only by its purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings LLC in 2012. A potential Wiz purchase would therefore be unusual in size and would likely attract significant attention from antitrust regulators.
Google $GOOGL faces several antitrust challenges, including a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice accusing it of abusing its dominant position in online search. Another lawsuit concerns its digital advertising tools.
Negotiations to acquire Wiz come at a time…