Microsoft apparently wanted to buy Facebook for $24 billion when it was 'itsy-bitsy'

Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has revealed that at one point Microsoft made an offer to purchase Facebook for $24 billion.

In an interview with CNBC he revealed Microsoft made the offer in 2010, when the company was still ‘itsy-bitsy.’

At the time Facebook was still two years away from its $100 billion IPO but was already “growing like mad.”

Ballmer notes that Microsoft was serious about the offer, which Facebook eventually turned down.

“I think $24 billion when the company was itsy-bitsy and [Zuckerberg] said no,” Ballmer said. “And I respect that.”

Microsoft was an early investor in Facebook, and held 1.6% of its share at one point, and the companies have always had a cordial relationship.

Facebook’s Facebook for Work product may however see the two companies sit on the opposite sides of the table as it will bring Facebook in direct competition with Microsoft’s own collaboration products, but then of course Microsoft did just recently purchase their own social network, LinkedIn, illustrating how complex the tech world has become recently.

Do our readers think Facebook would have achieved its current dominance under Microsoft’s stewardship? Let us know below.