These people are not forced to make more money at the expense of others. It's their choice.

If the threat is that unloading a position will cause a dip in shareholder value of $X, but those actually in control believe their own thesis and operating model is worth more than $X, then they can choose to weather the storm, believing their way will negate the loss of $X.

If they really don't have an answer to the activist investor's thesis, then yea, they'll roll over.

Don't be that kid.

More likely, though I haven't read their letter in depth, is that their beliefs actually aren't that far out there - I mean, you probably aren't going to get pushback from anyone if you say "Google is bloated and needs to trim and focus". So they write a letter and make some noise, and then when Google makes some rather unsurprising changes they can say something like "look how influential and prescient we are", and that has value in the investment world.

Only if the Waze teams takes over for the Maps team..

Google Maps is TERRIBLE app, I hate it. and if the Maps team is going to start messing with Waze it will be ruined

Then in my last trip I tried using it to find gas stations on my drive and it was a huge pain in the ass. It was once again impressive in how bad it was.

Waze has some nice features, but it's janky af. Google Maps is considerably better in almost every way. Waze is useful to see speed traps and has more information about gas prices. (Much less helpful in getting you TO those gas stations, though.)

I would never use anything other than driving directions

I only walk to and from my car, and i do not own a bike, and if a business does not have parking less than 300ft from the door I am going to a different business

Seriously, Google Maps being a all-caps TERRIBLE app? Come on. It's basically the gold standard.

In NYC, it often makes absurd suggestions - I once got in an uber on 33rd and 2nd trying to get to penn station on 31st and 7th avenue. Far and away the most straightforward path is to head west on 31st street all the way to 7th avenue, but there's always a backup between 5th ave and 7th avenue - but that's still the fastest route. Waze directed the uber to head north on 3rd avenue to 39th street, head west, make a left on 5th avenue, then make a right on 35th, then make a left on 7th. It took twice as long, but we were always moving - it just wasn't taking into account how long it can take to make a turn on nyc streets.

Waze seems more willing to save time even if the path gets more complicated. Maps on the other hand even exposes a "greener" path that minimizes fuel when it won't cost too much time.

Yes, they can. It’s called fiduciary responsibility, and shareholders sue for it all the time.

Management can just say “in our judgement X is the right thing to do, not Y”. Google is too big for TCI to try to gain control over.

https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/12/01/dodge-v-ford-what...

Firstly, if an executive says "we believe this is in the interest of long-term shareholder value", the courts basically just defer to their judgement. You can't get the courts to run a company for you.

And second, the precedent has been softened since 1916 (or wasn't even true at the time), and for example some corporations like B-corps explicitly reject it, without any legal consequences.