What was LinkedIn's market capitalization at its IPO in 2011?

LinkedIn’s market capitalization at its 2011 IPO was $4.25 billion. The company priced its initial public offering at $45 per share before trading began on the New York Stock Exchange on May 19, 2011. Based on roughly 94.5 million shares outstanding after the offering, that price implied a valuation of approximately $4.25 billion.

The IPO attracted enormous attention because LinkedIn was one of the first major social-networking companies to enter the public markets. It offered 7.84 million shares, including stock sold by both LinkedIn and existing shareholders. The total offering was priced at about $352.8 million before expenses.

A common mix-up is confusing LinkedIn’s IPO valuation with its first-day market capitalization. After trading opened, the stock surged and closed at $94.25, more than doubling from its $45 IPO price. That pushed LinkedIn’s market value to roughly $9 billion by the end of its first trading day. The $4.25 billion figure refers specifically to the valuation at the IPO price, not the later trading value.