Final pre-IPO auction values Facebook at $104 billion

The social network's debut on the public markets continues to rise

Facebook is now valued at $104 billion, following its final pre-IPO stock auction in the secondary market as hype over the social network’s debut on the public markets continues to rise. The SharesPost auction saw Facebook’s stock price climb to a high of $44.10 per share, giving Facebook an implied valuation of $102.6 billion. However, separate data from PrivCo indicates that the valuation figure is actually closer to $104 billion when accounting for all of the firm’s outstanding shares. The price increase also means that the 120 million shares purchased by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg are now worth some $5.3 billion in total, up from $7.2 million in 2005.

Although in its quiet period before its IPO, Facebook has continued to add new features to flesh out its offering as a fully-fledged ecosystem. It has just rolled out its new ‘Timeline’ profile feature for company pages, leading a flurry of brands to take advantage of the new tool and post historical status updates dating back thousands of years. The firm is also looking to build out its search and advertising services as it seeks to boost engagement with the site and increase revenues.

Facebook’s valuation has continued to climb since the firm filed for its IPO in February, with the social network hoping to raise some $5 billion from its stock market debut. While a final date has not been set, the social network is widely expected to go public around May. The firm’s move to halt private trading of its shares is just the latest sign that its IPO is imminent. However, the move has led SharesPost to lay off 10% of its staff, with the site’s CEO, Barry Silbert, anticipating a slowdown in trade in the “post-Facebook world“.

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