“WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.”
Even after scoring Instagram and several other startups, this is probably the biggest Facebook acquisition yet, and without doubt it’s the smartest of all as well. Facebook announced that they have agreed to pay $4 billion in cash and $12 billion worth of Facebook shares to get a hold of the Whatsapp. And they have also added an additional $3 billion in Facebook stock for WhatsApp’s founders and employees. It goes without saying that Whatsapp has managed to squeeze Facebook pretty good to get this sweet deal.
It’s kind of ironic how Facebook had turned down Brian Acton, co-founder of Whatsapp back in 2009 when he came begging for a job. And now they are buying him back. Folks, lesson here is to never give up trying.
Read Also: Did Snapchat Just Turned Down the Deal of a Lifetime?
The acqusition doesn’t mean the app is going to be shut down. It will stay alive as Facebook has offered WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum to join Facebook Board of Directors.
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