I read the news that Facebook had bought WhatsApp for $19bn with some surprise, as most of the world did – particularly as the deal was apparently concluded in a matter of weeks since it was first discussed. I can understand the various theories bouncing around about why it was so important for Facebook to nullify a potential future competitor, tap into the mobile market more successfully (it’s the future, apparently!) and instantly receive a shot in the arm in terms of their impressive user base growth rate (WhatsApp instantly adds 450 million users to the Facebook user bottom line). But I struggle to comprehend is why they paid so much. The Marketer magazine put together a good summary of why Facebook bought WhatsApp HERE