????還記得2012年的那一幕嗎？當時一款發展迅猛、名叫Instagram的照片分享軟件被以十億美元的出價收購，大家覺得那是很大一筆銀子。現在看來，這筆錢實在不值一提。Facebook公司剛剛宣布，計劃以至少16倍于Instagram收購價的天價收購移動通訊應用公司WhatsApp。此外還要加上給WhatsApp員工和創始人的30億美元限制性股票，從而使收購總價飆升到190億美元。

????作為這筆交易的一部分，WhatsApp聯合創始人兼首席執行官讓?庫姆將加入Facebook董事會。同時，與Instagram當初的情況一樣，WhatsApp也將繼續在自有品牌下獨立運營。

????Facebook之所以對這家公司這么感興趣，可能主要和這家公司飛速增長的態勢以及其深厚的用戶基礎有關。WhatsApp號稱目前有4.5億名活躍用戶，這是過去九個月里增長一倍多達到的數字。更重要的是，超過70%的用戶每天都會登錄。而且，WhatsApp在國際用戶中尤其受歡迎。

????這筆交易中的大贏家將是紅杉資本（Sequoia）。2011年，這家風投公司向WhatsApp投資了800萬美元——也是它唯一募得的風投。紅杉資本的合伙人吉姆?喬茨主導了這筆投資，同時進入了這家公司的董事會。他在一篇博客文章中描述過，WhatsApp公司的企業文化是多么富于自律精神，而庫姆和聯合創始人布萊恩?阿克頓對廣告又是多么避之不及（他寫道：“讓的桌子上貼著一張布萊恩給他的小紙條，上面寫著‘不要廣告！不要游戲！不要噱頭！’”）。相反，他們只專注于為用戶提供簡單易用的通訊體驗。這項服務第一年免費，此后也只需要每年一美元。他還著重指出，WhatsApp的增長可謂突飛猛進，而且從沒有在營銷上花過一分錢。

????喬茨表示，Facebook已向亞倫和庫姆保證，WhatsApp可以保持不植入廣告的狀態，也不用犧牲自己的商業原則。而庫姆在董事會的位置可能會幫助他確保這一點。（財富中文網）

????譯者：清遠

????

????Remember back in 2012 when a billion dollars seemed like a lot of money to pay for a fast-growing photosharing app called Instagram? Turns out, that's nothing. Facebook (FB) has just announced plans to purchase mobile messaging service WhatsApp for at least sixteen times that. The company will pay an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp employees and founders, bringing Facebook's total cost to $19 billion.

????As part of the deal, WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook Board of Directors. And just as with Instagram, WhatsApp will continue to operate independently under its own brand.

????Facebook's strong interest in the service likely has to do with the fast clip at which WhatsApp is growing, as well as its deep user engagement. The serviced boasts 450 million active users, a number that has more than doubled over the past nine months. What's more, more than 70% of them log on every single day. And WhatsApp is particularly popular with international users.

????A major winner in this deal will be Sequoia, the venture capital firm that invested $8 million in the company—the only venture funding raised—back in 2011. In a blog post, Sequoia partner Jim Goetz, who led the investment and sits on the board, describes a disciplined company culture in which Koum and cofounder Brian Acton eschew ads ("Jan keeps a note from Brian taped to his desk that reads 'No Ads! No Games! No Gimmicks!'" writes Goetz) and instead focus on a simple messaging experience that is free for the first year and then costs just a dollar a year. He points out that WhatsApp's growth has been entirely viral; the company hasn't spent a cent on marketing.

????Goetz says Facebook has assured Aaron and Koum that WhatsApp can remain ad free and they will not have to compromise their business principles. Koum's board seat will likely help him insure this.