Facebook has received $200 million from Russian investment group Digital Sky Technologies in exchange for a 2 percent stake in the company.
As part of the agreement, DST will soon buy at least $100 million of Facebook’s common stock and is working on a deal that would allow Facebook employees to sell their shares in the company.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook had been approached by a "number" of firms, but chose DST because of its "global perspective." The Russian firm has raised and invested over $1 billion in 30 companies since 2005.
“Facebook has the potential to be one of the most valuable Internet companies globally,” Digital Sky’s Chief Executive Yuri Milner said. “We believe the company is well on its path to become one of the most interesting and valuable internet companies.”
In October 2007, Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6% stake in the social network web site.
In the past, Facebook has also received more than $400 million in equity investments from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and venture capital firms Greylock Partners and Accel Partners.
Zuckerberg would not comment about the valuation figures. On the call, he said that the Microsoft valuation came at the peak of the market and that Tuesday’s valuation was "fair."
The deal makes the privately-held company worth $10 billion, a Facebook statement said.
