Google Spares No Expense in $32 Billion Cloud Deal: Chris Hughes

It’s not often you see big tech firms getting pushed around. Upstart Wiz Inc. has just squeezed Google owner Alphabet Inc. to pony up $32 billion for a privately owned five-year-old cybersecurity firm. Even if the search giant can comfortably afford this deal, investors may need reassurance it hasn’t abandoned financial discipline in its pursuit of strategic ambitions in the cloud.

Alphabet tried and failed to acquire Wiz for $23 billion in July last year. At the time, Wiz’s founders told staff independence and a potential initial public offering were a better course. Securing a price around 40% higher in less than a year shows ...