Here is a concise summary of the text, highlighting 15 notable cases of companies making regrettable decisions due to greed, ignorance, or desperation:
**Top 15 Regrettable Business Decisions:**
1. **20th Century Fox**: Gave up Star Wars merchandising rights to George Lucas for $20,000 (now a $3B+ industry)
2. **Blockbuster**: Rejected buying Netflix for $50M, leading to bankruptcy
3. **Atari**: Passed on Apple's revolutionary computer, missing a massive opportunity
4. **Western Union**: Declined the telephone patent for $100,000, citing "no commercial possibilities"
5. **Decca Records**: Rejected The Beatles, saying "groups are out"
6. **Coca-Cola**: Introduced New Coke, sparking intense backlash and losing customer trust
7. **Microsoft**: Released the poorly received "Microsoft Bob" software
8. **Kodak**: Invented the first digital camera but didn't produce it, fearing damage to their film business
9. **Schlitz Beer**: Cheapened ingredients, leading to product quality issues and financial downfall
10. **Excite**: Declined buying Google for $1M (later reduced to $750,000)
11. **Edwin Drake** (individual): Failed to patent the first oil drilling apparatus, missing out on millions
12. **ABC**: Passed on "The Cosby Show" due to lack of script/pilot, allowing NBC to snag the hit series
13. **Mars**: Declined featuring M&M's in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, missing a massive marketing opportunity
14. **20th Century Fox (again)**: Sold M*A*S*H reruns too early, losing millions in potential revenue
15. **Kmart**: Focused on publicity over customer service, losing the market to Walmart's efficient operations
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, without opinions, in short sentences with numbers:
**1-5: Entertainment & Technology**
1. In 1977, 20th Century Fox gave all merchandising rights for Star Wars to George Lucas for $20,000.
2. ABC passed on "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s due to no script or pilot being available.
3. Mars declined to feature M&M's in the 1981 film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", leading to Reese's Pieces being featured instead.
4. Reese's Pieces sales tripled after the release of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".
5. Excite was offered Google for $1 million in the 1990s but declined, with Google later going public.
**6-10: Business & Innovation**
6. Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 but didn't pursue mass production.
7. Western Union declined to buy the patent for the telephone in the late 1800s for $100,000.
8. Schlitz, a major beer manufacturer in the 1970s, changed ingredients, leading to poor sales and eventual decline.
9. InfoSpace (formerly Excite) turned down buying Google for $750,000 after initially declining a $1 million offer.
10. Atari declined to purchase Apple's revolutionary personal computers in the early days of the company.
**11-15: Miscellaneous**
11. Edwin Drake invented the first oil drilling apparatus in 1859 but didn't patent it.
12. Decca Records rejected The Beatles in 1960, stating "groups are out" and "four-piece groups with guitars are finished".
13. Coca-Cola introduced New Coke in the 1990s, which was met with intense backlash, leading to its removal within three months.
14. Netflix offered to help Blockbuster sell their brand online in 2000, but Blockbuster declined.
15. 20th Century Fox sold old seasons of the hit show "MASH" to local TV stations for $25 million, missing out on later syndication profits.