Investors in Google's parent company, Alphabet, are facing uncertainty amidst legal challenges that may force the tech giant to divest some of its core businesses. Drawing parallels from history, particularly the breakup of John Rockefeller's Standard Oil empire over a century ago, experts suggest that a potential breakup of Google could actually lead to increased profits for shareholders. In 1911, the Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil had to split into 34 smaller companies, resulting in substantial wealth for Rockefeller and other shareholders.

An antitrust law professor, David Olson, noted that after the breakup, the market value of the resulting companies significantly multiplied compared to the valuation of Standard Oil. Major oil companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil emerged from the divestiture and continue to dominate the industry to this day. The division sparked new management approaches and operational efficiencies that allowed the smaller companies to thrive and grow.

Antitrust litigator Barry Barnett highlighted that a scaled-back Google could potentially drive innovation and enhance customer service, benefiting existing shareholders. For instance, Google's search engine may become more efficient in delivering relevant results, thereby increasing its value to advertisers. Despite these positive outlooks, not all analysts share the optimistic view, as reflected by Evercore ISI's recent downward revision of Alphabet's price target following an antitrust ruling against Google.

The ruling, issued by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, supported claims that Google's Search business constituted an unlawful monopoly that hindered competition. Speculations regarding potential outcomes for Google range from a complete breakup to regulatory mandates that could reshape the tech giant's operations. Legal experts suggest that the Department of Justice is likely to seek some form of divestiture if Google is found guilty of antitrust violations, a move that could impact the company's structure but may not be detrimental to its survival.