Facebook Buys WhatsApp for $19 Billion

Yes, the price is $19 billion: $4 billion in cash, about $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, a former Yahoo! (YHOO) employee, will join Facebook’s board of directors.

WhatsApp: 430M Users and Counting

WhatsApp Inc. was founded in 2009 by Americans Brian Acton  denied a job at Facebook in 2009.
Goes ahead to set up his own firm and sells it to Facebook On February 19, 2014, for $19 billion.
Just Brilliant!

Facebook announced it is acquiring WhatsApp for US$16 billion. Facebook will pay $4 billion in cash and the remaining $12 billion in Facebook shares. It calls for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp founders and employees that will vest over four years

Brian Acton 
San Francisco Bay Area | Internet
Current:
Brian Acton at WhatsApp Inc.

Past:

Vice President of Engineering at Yahoo! Inc., Senior Director of Engineering - Yahoo Search Marketing at Yahoo!, Senior Director of Engineering -...

Education:

Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Central Florida

Summary:

Revolutionize the world with innovative technology products and services.