How They Make Money

How They Make Money

πŸ’° The M&A Land Grab

Why companies are paying up for workflows, agents, and distribution

App Economy Insights's avatar
App Economy Insights
Jun 23, 2026
βˆ™ Paid

Welcome to the Premium edition of How They Make Money.

Over 300,000 subscribers turn to us for business and investment insights.

In case you missed it:

  • πŸ“ˆ How to Invest in IPOs

  • ⚽️ How FIFA Makes Money

  • πŸš€ How SpaceX Makes Money

  • πŸ”Ž Why Google is Selling $85B of Itself


Three companies announced roughly $86 billion in acquisitions in a single week. None of these deals is really about buying revenue.

SpaceX, Salesforce, and Fox are buying control points (the layers customers touch every day) before the market structure hardens around them.

When technology shifts, those layers are the most valuable real estate there is:

  • The workflow: where work gets done.

  • The interface: where choices are made.

  • The distribution layer: where attention is monetized.

  • The data loop: that improves the product over time.

A scarce asset can justify a premium, but a rushed deal can torch billions. The whole difference comes down to one question: is the buyer acquiring a durable control point, or simply paying up for growth it could not build internally?

Are these companies buying the future, or buying time?

Let’s review.

Today at a glance:

  • πŸ€– SpaceX + Cursor

  • ☁️ Salesforce + Fin

  • πŸ“Ί Fox + Roku


πŸ€– SpaceX + Cursor: Buying the AI Workflow

SpaceX is acquiring Cursor parent Anysphere in a $60 billion all-stock deal, struck four days after its Nasdaq debut.

The headline number is enormous. Cursor was valued at $29 billion in November 2025, then explored funding above a $50 billion valuation in April 2026, before SpaceX exercised its right to buy the company outright at $60 billion.

But the structure matters: SpaceX is paying with stock, not cash.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Β© 2026 App Economy Insights LLC Β· Privacy βˆ™ Terms βˆ™ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture