Google lodged last minute bid to prevent Facebook acquiring WhatsApp, reports say
Google reportedly tried to buy WhatsApp for more than $19bn in a last minute effort to stop Facebook snapping it up.
Competition: Google reportedly tried to stop Facebook's purchase
According to The Information, WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton turned the offer down after Koum met with Google CEO Larry Page just days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had put his offer on the table.
It’s understood Page told Koum that WhatsApp was “a big threat to Facebook” and should stay independent, adding that joining up with Facebook would significantly affect “how things play out for years to come”.
Google allegedly tried to buy WhatsApp for a much lesser sum last year but was turned down. Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp, worth $19bn in total, was announced this week. The move was met with industry-wide speculation on how Facebook will justify its price tag.