Microsoft is one of the most valuable companies on the planet because it is destructive? What’s that even mean?
Meanwhile, they basically invented the "buy your competitor and tank their business" strategy. That's probably what this person is referring to.
How does tanking Github allow Microsoft to sell more copies of Office?
"Buy and trash competitor" isn't a real strategy. When an acquisition fails, it's usually poor management or vision, or just a lack of synergy in the first place, not a purposeful tanking.
1) creating value for their customers
2) maintaining the moat that prevents other people from creating value for their customers
The former is constructive, the latter is destructive. They both contribute revenue.
I haven’t done a full scale analysis of Microsoft, but the argument I would entertain is that Microsoft primarily sells tools for companies and individuals to built moats around themselves.