Last week, reports surfaced that Apple had considered buying Time Warner last year before ultimately deciding against it. The acquisition would have given Apple access to a number of high-profile media brands including HBO and CNN and a content library that could have provided a huge boost to the often-rumored Apple TV subscription service.
Very few companies in the world could have even considered acquiring a company of Time Warner’s size. But to Apple, the $60+ billion price tag would not have been a problem. As our chart below illustrates, Apple still holds a vast amount of cash and would still be the most cash-heavy company in the United States, even if it had gone through with the acquisition.
This chart shows the American companies with the largest cash holdings.
