Snapchat infamously turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook in 2013. But according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday, that wasn't the only time Facebook tried to buy Snapchat.
In mid-2016, Zuckerberg reached out to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel to discuss the possibility of buying the Santa Monica- based company, less than a year before its March 2017 IPO. But those attempts were dismissed by Spiegel, according to the Journal's sources.
The Journal also reports Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg reached out to Snap board members to measure their interest in a possible acquisition around that time.
An exact purchase price was not discussed, and according to a person familiar with the matter from the report, the 28-year-old CEO never received a formal offer from Facebook during the discussions. The person close to Speigel also said he has no regrets that the deal didn't materialize.
Around the time of the talks in 2016, Snap was expecting to IPO at a $25 billion-plus valuation, according to the report. Today, almost two years after its 2017 IPO, its market cap is around $6.5 billion.
The Journal report on Sunday also highlighted the recent struggles for Snap, including a botched app redesign, the departure of key executives, and users leaving by the millions. Last Friday, Snap's stock closed below $5 for the first time.
Read the full Journal report here.
A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment. Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
