"Walmart didn't have technology as a core competency" Wallmart has absolutely amazing tech as a 'core competency'. You don't deliver more goods than anyone on

"Walmart didn't have technology as a core competency" Wallmart has absolutely amazing tech as a 'core competency'. You don't deliver more goods than anyone on planet earth without this. But it was ops-ish. Not 'e-commerce-ish'. Also - there is no 'acquihire' for billions. Surely some people are worth a lot, but even if he was worth that much, it's not within Wallmart DNA to do that. Jet.com is a 'working infrastructure of direct e-commerce' that Wallmart surely sees as the future, and what is missing from their tech. Imagine if they could graft Jet ops, into the Wallmart beast - it would make them Wallmart + Amazon type thing. Which makes sense, even at high valuations. Wallmart business is so massive, that if anything can help them push out into more e-commerce domain, it's worth it. The surplus in valuation is due to strategic alignment, not so much some 'op knowledge' that will increment revenues by x%. Amazon is an existential threat to Wallmart, and the 'game is on' to win people buying online, so this was a weapon they bought.