In February 2009 the company entered into an agreement with Fexco to acquire 100% of its shares for $ 159.9 million. Thanks to cooperation with Western Union the Associated Press at the end of the XIX century took almost monopolistic position in the U.S. market news. In 1879 Western Union left the telephone business after losing a lawsuit against Alexander Graham Bell - the patent holder on the phone. Number of active holders of "Golden Card" of Western Union amounted to 9.5 million people worldwide.