Facebook IPO? What IPO?

Posted Oct 18th 2007 9:02AM by Tom Taulli
Filed under: Google (GOOG)

It's the start of the Web 2.0 conference – and the buzz machine is revving nicely. After all, the #2 session included the founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.

OK, as for the possibility of an IPO, he thinks it is "years out."

That sounds like a long time, huh? Or, could he be talking in internet years?

Well, when it comes to mega startups like Facebook, you really can't be sure. Although, I'm certain that many Wall Street investment banks are licking their chops to snag the firm as a client.

Then again, it's probably not a bad idea to wait on a public offering. I suspect Facebook will face serious competition, such as from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Besides, Zuckerberg was born on May 14th, 1984. In a Sarbanes-Oxley world – and in light of the complications of running a hyper-growth business – it might be a bit of a concern for investors to have a spring chicken CEO.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

Tags: Facebook, IPOs