Or even make it a full acquisition, but allow VW to remain a separate organisation with its own CEO and own board who answer to Apple's shareholders (and/or to the very top Apple execs) rather than to a separate group of shareholders?

I.E. securing any future VW profits, and ensuring that the IP licensing deal is indefinite, while staying hands off and allowing VW to keep doing what they do with the exception of using Apple software.

VW has comparable revenue to Apple, 4 times the employees, twice the assets and triple the equity. Additionally it can only be bought by negotiating with a single family.

No, apple can not buy VW. This idea is totally absurd.

If you look a few comments higher than mine, you'll see that the context of my comment and the one I replied to start from:

> In another universe, I wonder [about Apple + VW joining forces]

We're not speculating on what might happen tomorrow, just discussing hypotheticals for the scenario in which those companies were wanting to be partners of some kind.

Seems like a complete nightmare. A Californian software company and a German car maker, seems about as conflicting as possible.

Agree with you, that's why my thought was that, if they were to do anything, an acquisition in which VW retains their autonomy and leadership would make more sense than one in which the two executive teams merge and attempt to manage the new dual-culture single company.

The state of Lower Saxony, where VW is located, is also a 20% stakeholder and politically extremely influential.

Unfortunately, with our current capitalistic system, it doesn't make sense to buy a company which has no intention to be as profitable as you are.

Basically, shareholders expect you to invest all the cash in your stockpile for a similar percentage return (on average), and they won't want you to invest in a capital heavy but almost profitless industry like carmaking unless you think you can turn it into a business of similar profit levels per unit investment to your existing business.

The potential brands which can build a car on their own are VW, Audi and Porsche. It is pretty much unimaginable that they would be sold to Apple.

And what would apple even do with the teams? They now have 10k people in Germany ready to design a car for them, sounds totally nightmarish.