I know everybody is throwing around this insane figure of Facebook being worth $15 billion. It is not true.
Nick Carr gets it right:
Welcome to Fantasy Island.
Extrapolating Facebook’s true worth from Microsoft’s investment is a ridiculous exercise, for two main reasons. First, the investment is part of a broader deal, the details of which are unknown.
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Second, and more important, Microsoft’s investment is not financial but strategic. The company is currently engaged in a multi-front competitive battle under conditions of great uncertainty.
Facebook may end being sold for $15 billion or go the IPO route and end up with a market cap greater than $15 billion…but this deal should not prove/show/lead to the conclusion that Facebook is worth $15 billion.