WhatsApp Dismisses Google Buyout Rumors

WhatsApp-icon-Android

WhatsApp has denied that it is holding sales talks with Google following reports that the company is on the verge of a $1 billion buyout. One source claimed last week that the hugely popular cross-platform messaging service has been in talks with Google for the last 4-5 weeks, but WhatsApp’s business development lead, Neeraj Arora, denies any discussions.

AllThingsD reports:

Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp’s business development head, told AllThingsDigital today that the company is not holding sales talks with Google.

Arora declined to add any further comment.

This is the second time WhatsApp has been the subject of takeover talks. Last December, “sources close to the matter” claimed that the service was close to reaching a deal with Facebook as the social network looked to expand its mobile presence. But WhatsApp also denied that deal, saying the reports were “not factually accurate.”

WhatsApp, which was founded in 2009 by two Yahoo! veterans, has become the most popular cross-platform messenger in the world, serving 10 billion messages per day as of August 2012. The service is available on Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Symbian, and Windows Phone devices.