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Facebook to Buy WhatsApp for 16 Billion

posted by Dopefish on Thursday February 20 2014, @09:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the when-will-this-darn-bubble-pop-already? dept.

lubricus writes "Facebook announced plans to acquire WhatsApp for four billion cash, plus 12 billion in Facebook shares.

Additionally, WhatsApp employees and founders will receive three billion in restricted stock which will vest in four years. Facebook also agreed to a one billion dollar break up fee.

WhatsApp says they have message volume which approaches the global SMS volume, and hope to have one billion users. Even at those figures, Facebook is paying $16 per user.

I'm guessing WhatsApp will send Snapchat developers a cake."

 
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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by the_ref on Thursday February 20 2014, @09:36AM

    by the_ref (2268) on Thursday February 20 2014, @09:36AM (#3292)

    at least the bubble is localised to facebook - so won't be a general disaster to the economy when it bursts.

    But you have to shake your head at this kind of thing, and wonder what would could happen if this kind of cash was spent on real innovation.

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  • (Score: 1) by Buck Feta on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:47PM

    by Buck Feta (958) on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:47PM (#3424) Journal

    If we could kill Facebook, the economy might actually improve.

    --
    - fractious political commentary goes here -

  • (Score: 2) by SpallsHurgenson on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:45PM

    by SpallsHurgenson (656) on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:45PM (#3462)

    Facebook is real innovation... just not in areas we'd like to see. It is innovative in how well it managed to convince people to give away all their most private details in exchange for the digital equivalent of some buttons and beads. It is innovative in getting people to waste time (and money) on some of the most mindless games ever made. It is innovative in that it does all this while at the same time being so upfront about how ruthlessly they intend to exploit their users. It's a brand new amalgamation of psychology, economics and technology, imitated by many. We may not like where it has takien us, but there can be little doubt that it was Facebook that led us here.