Google Also Wanted To Buy WhatsApp, But It Only Offered $10 Billion [Rumor]

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By now I’m sure you’ve heard that Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for a ridiculous $19 billion, but it wasn’t the only Silicon Valley giant that was willing to stump up silly stacks of cash for the cross-platform messaging service. Sources say Google was also interested, but it only offered $10 billion.

“Two separate sources have told me that’s how much Google offered to purchase WhatsApp,” reports Fortune’s Jessi Hempel. “The bid did not come with promise of a board seat, unlike the Facebook agreement.”

Google’s offer was almost half that of Facebook’s, then, and it didn’t come with quite as many perks for WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum — but it’s still a pretty crazy sum of money for a messaging service, whichever way you look at it. I’m sure Facebook will soon find a way to make its money back from WhatsApp’s 450 million active users, though.

Google declined to comment on its WhatsApp offer when it was probed by Fortune.

Source: Fortune

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