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Facebook has purchased massive messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Feb 2014 6:26 User comments (1)

Facebook has purchased massive messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion

Facebook has made the biggest news announcement of the day, acquiring the massive messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock.
WhatsApp has over 400 million active users, and Facebook is paying $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in stock, and the other $3 billion is in restricted stock for certain executives.

With the acquisition, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook's board of directors and the company will remain independent as a brand and service.

WhatsApp had less than 50 employees at the time of acquisition and just one VC funder, Sequoia Capital, who invested $8 million in 2011 and has a stake worth over $2 billion now.

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1 user comment

120.2.2014 10:40

Wish I knew how to build apps :)

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