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Yahoo in Talks to Sell AOL to Italy’s Bending Spoons for $1.4 Billion

By  |  October 2, 2025

Yahoo is in advanced discussions to sell AOL to Italian technology firm Bending Spoons in a deal valued at about $1.4 billion, according to Reuters. Four people familiar with the negotiations said the Milan-based company is close to finalizing the purchase, though no binding agreement has yet been signed and the talks could still collapse.

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    The sale would mark another shift for AOL, once one of the most iconic names of the internet era. AOL rose to prominence with its dial-up services, email platform, and the recognizable “You’ve Got Mail” notification. At its peak, the company was at the center of a record-breaking merger with Time Warner in 2000. However, that deal ultimately led to major financial losses and regulatory scrutiny.

    Apollo Global Management, which acquired a 90% stake in Yahoo from Verizon in 2021 for $5 billion, currently owns the legacy brand. Per Reuters, both Apollo and Bending Spoons declined to comment on the potential sale, and Yahoo did not respond to requests for comment.

    Read more: Apollo Global Management Weighs $1.5 Billion Sale of AOL

    For Bending Spoons, the deal would represent another step in its strategy of acquiring established but struggling tech companies and modernizing them. The firm, founded in 2013, has grown into one of Europe’s leading app developers, counting around 300 million monthly users across its products. Earlier this year, the company raised funds valuing it at $2.55 billion, making it a rare unicorn in Italy’s tech sector.

    If the acquisition goes through, AOL’s broad user base and subscription services—including LifeLock identity protection, LastPass password management, and McAfee Multi Access—would be added to Bending Spoons’ expanding portfolio. According to Reuters, AOL has recently experienced a 20% year-on-year increase in website traffic among users aged 25 to 54, driven by new content categories such as health, science, lifestyle, and true crime.

    Bending Spoons has been on an acquisition spree. It recently reached an agreement to take video platform Vimeo private in a $1.38 billion transaction, its largest deal to date. Earlier, it also purchased the file-sharing service WeTransfer. Industry analysts suggest the firm could pursue an eventual U.S. initial public offering, though its leadership has said there are no immediate plans for one.

    Source: Reuters