Google blew $100 million a year building giant balloons to spread internet access. Insiders describe how Larry Page’s passion project imploded.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Loon/Alphabet; Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Insider In January, Alphabet announced it would shutter its internet balloon business, Loon. It followed years of inflating costs and geopolitical headaches for the team.