The long-awaited Facebook IPO may be detailed as early as Wednesday. With valuation estimates of the company ranging from $75 to $100 billion, Facebook’s IPO could prove to be the largest initial public offering in history.
“Facebook could file papers for the IPO as early as this coming Wednesday, but that timing is still being discussed,” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The news came as headlines began to fly across the wires around the lunch hour Friday, such as: “Morgan Stanley Close To Winning Facebook Deal — source,” “Facebook Eyeing Filing IPO Documents Wednesday – sources,” “Facebook Now Looking at Valuation of $75 Billion to $100 billion – source,” and “Goldman Sachs Also Likely To Play Major Role In Facebook IPO – sources.”
Trading of privately held Facebook shares on secondary markets also halted Friday, igniting speculation that the company’s IPO filing was imminent.
Sean Parker, Facebook’s first president, told CNBC Thursday that it was “inevitable” that Facebook would go public, and when it does it will be the “largest offering in history.”
The IPO could raise as much as $10 billion for the company. Reuters reported in December that the public offering could create over 1,000 new millionaires.
Facebook is the No. 1 social network in the world, with over 800 million users worldwide.
Facebook could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.