With 19 Billion USD, Facebook buys Whatsapp
Businessweek.com
The social network, Facebook, announced after the close of the market on Wednesday that it has acquired mobile messaging service WhatsApp for about $19 billion.
As several commentators tweeted, reaching simultaneously for the low-hanging comedy fruit: “They should call it WTFapp.”
Although the price is $19 billion, separates $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in Facebook stock, and $3 billion in restricted shares, to pay out to WhatsApp employees over the next four years. For a five-year-old company with 50 employees, that translates into $380 million per person—and a heck of a haul for the startup’s venture investors, led by Sequoia Capital. WhatsApp founder Jan Koum, will join Facebook’s board of directors.