Facebook has agreed to acquire mobile-messaging app WhatsApp for as much as $US19 billion ($21 billion) in cash and stock, seeking to expand its reach among users on mobile devices.
The deal includes $US12 billion in stock, $US4 billion in cash and $US3 billion in restricted shares, Facebook said in a statement on Wednesday in the US (Thursday morning AEDT). WhatsApp has more than 450 million members, with 1 million users being added daily, Facebook said.