Google created Alphabet as an umbrella company so that Google search would be isolated legally from all their other non-money making projects. There was no shift in the company mission/focus.

Facebook the company is rebranding to Meta. Unlike Google/Alphabet this move marks a shift in the company focus from Facebook as the company’s main product to developing products for the Metaverse.

Was Alphabet created to distract people from bad behaviour? Did it seem like Google leadership created it because they got bored with their dayjobs?