WhatsApp's $19 Billion Acquisition by Facebook Explained!! On February 19, 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion, making it the largest purchase of a venture-capital-backed company at that time. This acquisition followed WhatsApp's $1.5 billion valuation just a year prior. Deal Breakdown - $4 Billion in Cash: Immediate payment. - $12 Billion in Facebook Shares: Long-term investment. - $3 Billion in RSUs: Incentives for founders and employees over four years. What are Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)? RSUs are shares given to employees that vest over time, incentivizing them to stay with the company. For WhatsApp’s founders, these RSUs were scheduled to vest over four years. Impact Sequoia Capital saw a 5,000% return. Despite the celebratory news, WhatsApp experienced a service outage shortly after, causing user frustration.
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