I already noted above that ebates bought FatWallet in 2011 (not just "a while ago", but rather, 6 - 7 years ago). Ebates was started all the way back in 1998, its website was launched in 1999, and it was an independent company until Rakuten purchased it in late 2014.

So, ebates' purchase of FatWallet took place first, ~3 years before Rakuten purchased ebates. Not sure why you would blame Rakuten, unless you think that ebates would have kept FatWallet going indefinitely rather than shutting them down.