CorpComms Magazine

How much will it fetch on the stock market?

 

Guesses range from $80 billion to the $100 billion mark (that's £50 billion to £60 billion in English). 

 

Is it me or is that quite a bit?

 

It is. In fact, at the lower end it is equivalent to the nominal gross domestic product of a country like Iraq ($81 billion), but at the upper end it is roughly equivalent to Vietnam's gross domestic product ($103 billion).

 

How much will founder Mark Zuckerberg pocket for that?

 

In excess of $20 billion say Wall Street sources, turning the 27-year-old Zuckerberg into the world's 23rd richest person.

 

Should I earmark a few of hard earned pennies for some shares?

 

That depends. Not everyone is that convinced by Facebook's business model. 

 

Why? Pretty much everyone in the world is on it, even my mother!

 

Yes but that may not be sufficient to justify the asking price. The Financial Times' John Gapper argues that Zuckerberg's letter to shareholders was 'aspirational and vague'. 

 

Oh really. What did he say?

 

'By focussing on our mission and building great services, we believe we will create the most value for our shareholders and partners over the long term . . . We don't wake up in the morning with the primary goal of making money, but we understand that the best way to achieve our mission is to build a strong and valuable company'.

 

Hmmm that sounds a bit woolly.

 

Exactly. It's hardly Warren Buffett is it.