Earlier this morning, we wrote about Google’s impressive dealmaking prowess. Over the past three years, the search giant was involved in 126 deals worth $17.6 billion according to Bloomberg.
Well, that changed quickly. The pricetag on Facebook’s surprise WhatsApp acquisition alone stands at a staggering $19 billion, including $3 billion in restricted stock.
It’s reasonable to assume Facebook is buying WhatsApp for the same reasons it bought Instagram. Which is mainly to prevent a potential competitor from emerging. In a way, is not that different from what Google is trying to achieve with its early- and late-stage venture investments.