TEMPO.CO, California - Facebook Inc. on Wednesday has signed an agreement for the acquisition of WhatsApp Inc., amounted to US$19 billion (approximately Rp223.8 trillion). Out of that amount, US$4 billion (Rp47 trillion) is in cash, US$12 billion in Facebook shares, and US$3 billion in special stocks to 55 founders and employees of WhatsApp.
Many observers view Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s acquisition amounted to US$19 billion was a crazy decision. In fact, there are some who view Facebook had lost hope. However, considering the social media’s ambition to dominate the Internet world, that amount is not that much.
On the company’s tenth anniversary, its share value has been amounted to US$61 per share. Facebook’s value is then estimated to be US$150 billion. Zuckerberg possesses 500 million Facebook shares. Such money proves his wealth to have reached US$31 billion.
ABDUL MALIK