The value of Facebook must be astronomical. Microsoft is considering being a stake holder:

“Microsoft Corp. is in talks to invest up to $500 million in online social networking company Facebook Inc., according to a report Monday in the online edition of The Wall Street Journal.”

link: Microsoft considering Facebook investment: WSJ

It seems that Google is expressing a similar interest in Facebook. The Facebook traffic is a key demographic that is coveted by advertisers. There must be enough projected clicks to justify spending a half a billion dollars - and see a near future return on investment.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]facebook, microsoft, google, investment, demographic, advertising, value[/tags]