Say What? Yahoo's Marissa Mayer Buys a Funeral Home The young Yahoo CEO has purchased the property that houses Palo Alto's oldest funeral parlor, according to reports.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Reuters
Marissa Mayer

In case Google's efforts to prevent death don't pan out, Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer has a back-up plan: She bought a funeral parlor, according to news reports.

Mayer has purchased Palo Alto's oldest funeral home, Roller & Hapgood & Tinney, a 114-year-old family-owned business, according to news reports which first appeared in local California news site Palo Alto Online. Records reveal Mayer may have paid $11.2 million for the site.

Since 1951, the family-owned funeral home has been at its current location at the corner of Addison and Middlefield streets in Palo Alto, Calif., an upscale neighborhood housing many of the Silicon Valley elites. Mayer reportedly lives a block from the property.

Related: Marissa Mayer's Smartest and Dumbest Moves at Yahoo

The funeral home owner, Paul Roller, says property values in Palo Alto have jumped so dramatically that it no longer makes economic sense to use the acreage for a funeral home, according to reports. The current median sales price of a home in Palo Alto, Calif. is more than $1.6 million, according to real-estate valuation company Trulia. The funeral home will close its doors on October 31.

Mayer took the helm at Yahoo a year ago in June and has made some dramatic changes in her short tenure so far. Some have been extremely well received, as with the revamp of Flickr, and some have been cause for controversy, as in her ban of telecommuting policy.

Related: Should Marissa Mayer Have Posed in Vogue?

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Can Get Paid $18,000 More a Year By Adding AI Skills to Your Resume, According to a New Study

Employers are emphasizing AI skills — and are willing to pay a lot more if you have them.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

The Difference Between Entrepreneurs Who Survive Crises and Those Who Don't

In a business world accelerated by AI, visibility alone is fragile. Here's how strategic silence and consistency can turn reputation into your most powerful asset.

Business News

United Airlines Says It Is Adding Extra Flights in Case Spirit 'Suddenly Goes Out of Business'

Rival airlines, including United and Frontier, are adding new routes as Spirit cuts 12 cities from its schedule.

Leadership

7 Steps to De-Risking Big Business Decisions Before They Backfire

When the stakes are high, these seven steps can help you avoid costly mistakes, eliminate bias and make smarter decisions that actually scale.

Business News

Gold Prices Are Higher Than Ever. Here's How Much a Costco Gold Bar Purchased in 2024 Is Worth Today.

A one-ounce Costco bar is worth $870 more now than it was a year ago.