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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: 1) by bryn on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:35PM

    by bryn (2394) on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:35PM (#3415)

    AFAIK there isn't a yearly subscription for WhatsApp - I have the app as my whole family use it and I've not seen any subscription details anywhere in the app itself (Except Settings > Payment info > Service: Lifetime.)

    --
    He who dares wins. He who hesitates, doesn't.

  • (Score: 1) by elf on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:58PM

    by elf (64) on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:58PM (#3430)

    I am not sure if the 69p thing is global but whatsapp does have a subscription service that comes up after a year of free use

    http://www.whatsapp.com/faq/general/23014681 [whatsapp.com]

    (Whats the write way to post URL's in comments?)

    • (Score: 1) by bryn on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:16PM

      by bryn (2394) on Thursday February 20 2014, @02:16PM (#3442)

      Well I'll be a canned ham... odd.

      I've found an iTunes receipt from May 2012 saying I paid 69p for WhatsApp but I don't remember seeing a subscription update May 2013 - maybe I managed to buy it before the subscription fee came into place? (Thus seeing Service: Lifetime in my Settings)

      Can anyone with WhatsApp confirm what they see in Settings > Account > Payment Information > Service?

      --
      He who dares wins. He who hesitates, doesn't.