Facebook completed its acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014.
Facebook announced the agreement in February 2014, valuing the transaction at approximately $19 billion in cash and stock, with additional restricted stock units. The deal was completed in October 2014 after regulatory processes were addressed.
WhatsApp had been founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. Its messaging service had grown quickly because it offered simple cross-platform communication and initially avoided traditional display advertising. Koum joined Facebook’s board after the acquisition, while WhatsApp continued to operate as a distinct application.
The acquisition is sometimes confused with Facebook’s purchase of Instagram, which was announced in 2012, or Oculus, which Facebook agreed to acquire in 2014 for a much smaller reported price. WhatsApp later became part of the broader family of Meta-owned services.