Report: Google Offered to Buy WhatsApp for $10 Billion
Top Stories
Facebook’s surprise $16 billion acquisition of WhatsApp on Wednesday might not have been part of the only offer the messaging company received. Fortune reports that Google offered to buy WhatsApp for $10 billion. In a brief report on the rumored offer, Fortune notes that two separate sources have confirmed Google offered to purchase WhatsApp, but it’s unclear exactly when the search giant attempted to arrange a deal. The bid reportedly came without a promise of a Google board seat, unlike Facebook’s agreement. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proposed the purchase to WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum on February 9th, with a finalized deal ready a few days later. Business Insider reports that Koum visited Zuckerberg’s home on Valentine’s Day and interrupted a private dinner before the two finalized details and pricing “over chocolate covered strawberries.”
