"Google's Financial Influence Led to Apple Rejecting Bing Purchase, Report Finds"

Microsoft had considered selling Bing to Apple as a way for Apple to replace Google as the default search provider on its devices. However, the talks didn't progress beyond initial conversations, partly due to the significant amount of money involved. Microsoft had even considered making a large investment in Apple in 2016 to make Bing the default search engine, but ultimately decided against it. It is unlikely that Bing would have remained as it is if acquired by Apple, and it's clear that Apple is not interested in taking on Bing, even with a substantial financial offer.