>And this is a private equity play - buy the company. Strip it of its assets, ignore any future R&D opportunities and move on as soon as all revenues are exhausted.

How have you established that this is the most likely outcome?

Private equity? Both of the companies are publicly listed in the US.

Yes, but the acquisition was to be financed with $106 billion in debt https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/broadcom-...

That should be called a locust merger