Facebook has raised $500 million

According to a report in The New York Times, Facebook has raised $500 million in new funding from Goldman Sachs and Russian firm Digital Sky Technologies – and now is worth $50 billion. Goldman invested $450 million, while DST (which has already invested about $500 million into Facebook) provided the remaining $50 million. Goldman also plans to create a “special purpose vehicle” to pool its clients and invest another $1.5 billion in Facebook without triggering the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 500-shareholder threshold.

As reported earlier, the SEC now investigates secondary markets. Supposedly, companies that break the 500-shareholder threshold will be required to disclose more information publicly. Facebook’s valuation has been climbing steadily on the secondary markets where its shares are sold.

Facebook is expected to have its initial public offering as soon as 2012, although the company hasn’t said anything specific on the matter. It reportedly brought in $2 billion in revenue in 2010. DLD friend and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company is barely profitable as it is not focused on profits yet.

Facebooks' Dan Rose and SecondMarket Founder and CEO Barry Silbert join DLD 2011 as speakers. Certainly, they will touch this on fire topic. Update your Reality!