10 Other Things Facebook Could Have Bought for $16 Billion

 By   on 
10 Other Things Facebook Could Have Bought for $16 Billion
Credit: Jaime Escobar

Facebook acquired popular messaging service WhatsApp for $16 billion on Wednesday -- resulting in many double takes. At first, some speculated that it was an error in decimal placement. Twitter feeds blew up with the news, followed by cheeky speculation about the value of something so simple.

After some of the initial dust settled, many began discussing what that huge sum of money could buy, putting into perspective all the zeroes that will suddenly be added to balance sheets of WhatsApp employees. Mashable took a closer look at the breakdown of $16 billion (it's mre than the nominal GDP of roughly 113 nations, for starters).

BONUS: The Illustrated Story of Facebook

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!