I think it’s fair to say, that Facebook embodies the word ‘Change’ a bit too well. With the constant changes with its user interface and acquiring multiple companies to make their users experience on this social platform smooth (or I should say to get into users’ life more and more which helps Facebook in many ways), Facebook on 19th Feb 2014 bought WhatsApp for $19 Billion dollars. Wow right! Let’s take a walk down the memory lane on previous acquisitions which created frenzy on social media.
Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, we feel reason being many Facebook users were attracted towards this photo-sharing social platform which could have been a major rival in future for Facebook, thus they acquired it.
Facebook failed to acquire Snapchat for $3 Billion dollars in 2013. It is clearly trying to buy off all its competitors so it remains the sole social platform which caters to all its users need. But when Snapchat said no, looks like it dint do so well with their ego so then went on to acquire the best mobile application which is being used by almost everyone ‘WhatsApp’
When Facebook acquired WhatsApp, which is the most popular messaging app used on Smartphone’s before I dwell a little deeper into the acquisition a few factoids about WhatsApp:
- It was founded by Brian Action and Jan Koum in 2009. Little does everyone know Brian Action had applied to Facebook, to work with them but he got rejected and then later founded WhatsApp with his co-founder in 2009.
Facebook turned me down. It was a great opportunity to connect with some fantastic people. Looking forward to life's next adventure.
— Brian Acton (@brianacton) August 3, 2009
- In a recent study that mapped the growth of WhatsApp after its launch to other social networks when they were launched. The results were astounding, WhatsApp has 419 million active monthly users (MM) compared to other social platforms when they were launched – Facebook (145MM), Gmail (123 MM), Twitter (54 MM) and Skype (52 MM).
WhatsApp's growth curve. pic.twitter.com/XH4rWKB75n
— Richard Ting (@flytip) February 20, 2014
Facebook will pay WhatsApp $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in stock. WhatsApp’s founders and staff will be eligible for another $3 billion in stock grants to be paid out if they remain employed by Facebook for four years. Jan Koum will also join Facebook’s board of directors. And like Instagram, WhatsApp will also function as an autonomous unit within Facebook, with all its existing employees which is part of the deal.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and Whatsapp are most trending topics on Twitter right now! I went to Twitter search and started following the conversations about this acquisition and noticed some really amazing tweets. Here are they-
Facebook acquisition of WhatsApp's 300 million active users for $16 billion means I'm worth $53 to Zuckerberg. A check would be fine.
— Eytan Buchman (@EytanBuchman) February 20, 2014
Mark Zuckerberg walks into a bar. Bartender goes, " WhatsApp "
— Keshav Naidu (@Keshav_Naidu) February 20, 2014
Ok. That's it! I'm investing money like Zuckerberg. I've got a 1000 bucks saved up. Getting a pepperoni pizza and acquiring BBM.
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) February 20, 2014
Yo Zuckerberg of facebook, now please don't rename #WhatsApp to WhatsOnYourMind !!!
— Tinu Cherian Abraham (@tinucherian) February 20, 2014
Zuckerberg's WhatsApp was about to expire, so he decided to buy the company instead.
— Joel (@joelbrags) February 20, 2014
Mark Zuckerberg owns Facebook, Instagram and #WhatsApp . Basically, he now has more information than NSA, RAW & ISI combined.
— Sujit Agrawal (@imsujitagrawal) February 20, 2014
Yaar, Zuckerberg, if you are still into acquiring internet services that people spend enormous time on, may I suggest IRCTC.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 20, 2014
Old days- 'a picture is worth a thousand words.' Today- Instagram is worth 1/19 whatsapp
— Rohan Sippy (@rohansippy) February 20, 2014
Facebook buys IRCTC to promote social networking in trains: http://t.co/lY4GRoK19F #oldpost #WhatsApp
— Faking News (@fakingnews) February 20, 2014
Waiting for my Whatsapp Lookback Video
— Ajith (@ajith27) February 20, 2014
I should apply to Facebook, and get rejected (obviously!) and around 4 years later…
— Neeraj Thakur (@NeerajT4) February 20, 2014
Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion. I strongly suspect Zuckerberg's app store screen looks somewhat like this… pic.twitter.com/8gb6zg1695
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 20, 2014
Facebook buys WhatsApp for $16 billion, suddenly Instagram's $1 billion acquisition looks like a bargain.
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) February 20, 2014
Facebook buys Whatsapp for 16 BILLION? I am in the WRONG business.
— Kevin Mitnick (@kevinmitnick) February 19, 2014
Facebook buys WhatsApp, everybody downloads viber.
— DailyCannon (@DailyCannon) February 19, 2014
And the world is surprised that Facebook is buying Whatsapp…well if you've been following Asia closely, you wouldn't be surprised.
— Jonha Revesencio (@jonharules) February 20, 2014
"Facebook bought WhatsApp for 19Billion", Sounds as funny as "A patient bought Ventilator machine @ 19Billion,thinking it'll save his life".
— HathwalaThakur (@HathwalaThakur) February 20, 2014
Facebook bought WhatsApp for 16 billion dollars? That's funny. I got it off the App Store for free.
— BigBadManPig (@BigBadManPig) February 20, 2014
Zuckerberg bought me and every #WhatsApp user for $42 each. I feel so cheap!
— Pallavee Mahanta (@rambler_billi) February 20, 2014
A moment of silence for print publications that have to obligatorily carry the FB-WhatsApp news after the world has discussed it threadbare.
— Karthik Srinivasan (@beastoftraal) February 20, 2014
Facebook is like an evil parent that keeps finding the new hiding place for your diary. #WhatsApp
— Tara Aghdashloo (@taraaghdashloo) February 19, 2014
#Facebook was 'last seen today at' #Whatsapp.
— Adarsh Munjal (@TheBigBhookad) February 20, 2014
Really hope they don't make a movie about how Mark Zuckerberg bought WhatsApp for 19 billion when he could have just downloaded it for free.
— Julio Garcia (@juliogarciaSA) February 20, 2014
Facebook is buying everything where people do timepass. Guess they'd buy the parliament next. #WhatsApp
— My True Thoughts (@MacTrueThoughts) February 20, 2014
Your turn
How do you feel about this acquisition? Ohh! Let’s forget about these two companies for a while and think does it make any difference to you? Do you think there will be more amazing stuff on WhatsApp now? or you are worried about Mark continuously watching your chats? Share your comments below!
Share your thoughts here!