VMWare had half of its employees laid off in the past two year. Hock Tan cornered the market, taking over VMWare and its competitor, Citrix. Was this caused by

VMWare had half of its employees laid off in the past two year. Hock Tan cornered the market, taking over VMWare and its competitor, Citrix. Was this caused by Sec 174, or was it just another predatory acquisition?