What was the total acquisition price of WhatsApp by Facebook in 2014?

What was the total acquisition price of WhatsApp by Facebook in 2014? The correct answer is $19 billion.

Facebook announced the WhatsApp acquisition in February 2014 for approximately $16 billion in cash and Facebook stock. The announced consideration included about $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion in Facebook shares.

The agreement also provided approximately $3 billion in restricted stock units for WhatsApp’s founders and employees. Including those additional shares, the widely reported total value of the transaction was approximately $19 billion.

The $19 billion figure refers to the full announced package, while $16 billion refers only to the initial cash-and-stock consideration. Some later financial reports used different valuation figures because Facebook’s share price changed before the deal closed, but $19 billion is the standard headline acquisition price.